CLH News #190 July 2016

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July 2016

Issue 190

BFFF Awards 2016

Product Portfolio

Hospitality Technology

Design and Refit

Property and Professional

Pages 22 - 23

Pages 23 - 24

Design and Refit

Pages 25 - 27

Pages 28 - 31

Pages 32 - 35

Pages 36 - 38

Brexit Vote Could Lead to Tourism Boost THE PROSPECT of favourable exchange rates as a result of the EU Referendum and a vote to leave could bring more visitors to the region – providing a much needed tonic for the leisure sector hoteliers and publicans.

That is the view of Hotels Director Peter Brunt of Colliers International, who says tourist areas could benefit from an increase in overseas visitors now the pound is more affordable for international tourists. Furthermore, UK tourists may choose to stay at home worried about the escalating costs of overseas travel Mr Brunt reported: “With a weaker pound we should see more tourists, both ‘staycation’ and from abroad. This has to be good news for locations like the South West peninsula and the Cotswolds.

“The value of the British pound down relative to the U.S. dollar, making it likely that more U.S. travellers will also be visiting Britain to take advantage of the disparity.”

Mr Brunt said he believed the hotel industry was unlikely to be significantly affected by the referendum decision for the UK to leave the EU. “The hospitality industry is in much better shape than it has been since before the downturn, with visits to the UK rising five per cent in the 12 months leading up to April,” he said.

“I feel sure that this industry will remain resilient and the people of the UK, the market and financial institutions will get used to the idea that we have left the EU. “My gut feeling is that the immediate few days, are going to be the most unsettled for us.

After that I believe that normal life will begin to return and my tone with buyers will remain upbeat and positive.

Nick Varney, chairman of the British Hospitality Association (BHA), also believes that there

could be an increase in tourist numbers, speaking at a recent seminar told delegates in London they should “seize the opportunity” despite turbulence in the financial markets and consumer fears about Britain’s exit from the EU. Varney, also chief executive of Merlin Entertainments, said: “I think it is a good thing that the pound is devalued relative to the euro. If we had voted to remain, putting all other issues to one side, we would have been left with a very uncompetitive currency from the view of exporters and the tourism industry in general. What I think we have to do is lock that competitive advantage in so we get to sort of pickup with renewed vigour the whole argument for cutting tourism VAT on accommodation and on attractions.”

Varney He added pound will encourage visitors and also exports will flourish.”

Meanwhile, business economist Andrew Sentance of PwC said: “The travel and tourism industry is actually a big exporter but we are used to thinking of exports as goods and cars and things like that.

“I think the travel and tourism industry can work with other service exporters, which include creative industries, business services, even the financial sector, to make the government aware that these service exporters are vitally important to the UK economy.”

Ross Veitch, CEO and co-founder of travel search site Wego suggested that along with cheaper travel, Brexit will may also an impact on UK airports. He said, “The UK Pound has dropped 9.8 per cent, with the value of the pound to the dollar at 1.3415 in early trading since the referendum result has become clear, which means a UK holiday is going to be cheaper for most foreign tourists than it has been for about 20 years. In-destination trip costs such as accommodation, dining, entertainment and shopping will allow significantly better value for the foreign traveller after exchanging their local currency.”

Hospitality and tourism is currently the fourth largest employer in the UK, with 10 per cent of the workforce employed in 180,000 hospitality businesses from independent restaurants to major hotel chains and visitor attractions. According to the BHA, the industry created almost 600,000 new jobs over the course of the last parliament, amounting to one in three of all new posts.

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Editor's Viewpoint

July 2016

EDITOR

It was a pretty brutal battle to say the least. We here at CLH News endeavoured to put both sides of the argument, and we were pleased to have some really informative articles/contributions from industry leaders and observers.

Like almost everybody else I have absolutely no idea what the long-term consequences will be, but as I write this, the pound is up 2.2% and the FTSE has closed at levels higher than pre-referendum, so it certainly isn’t all doom and gloom. I am no expert on currency either, however we have a really interesting report from Colliers International, which states that a favourable exchange rate will be beneficial to the country and will provide a boost for the hospitality industry. Peter Brunt, author of the report said: “With a weaker pound we should see more tourists, both ‘staycation’ and from abroad. This has to be good news for locations like the South West peninsula and the Cotswolds. The value of the British pound down relative to the U.S. dollar, making it likely that more U.S. travellers will also be visiting Britain to take advantage of the disparity.”

Adding that he believed the hotel industry was unlikely to be significantly affected by the referendum decision for the UK to leave the EU. This comes at the same time as a report by VisitEngland which states that England has just enjoyed a record-breaking first quarter for the amount spent on overnight domestic trips in England between January and March, up a staggering 23% for mashed year.

Have to say this is absolutely fantastic news for the industry, I know here in Bournemouth we have seen a significant increase in numbers, the food festival here in town was a great success, despite the weather. After a pretty poor June weather-wise I very much hope we can look forward to sunnier days which will, I am sure boost the industry even more.

If ever there was a time to mount a serious challenge to government policy on tourism VAT then this is it. The referendum and the Brexit vote has demonstrated the power dissent with policy has, and also demonstrated that the will of the people has to be listened to.

I very much hope that the much admired and ongoing campaign to cut tourism VAT benefits from this referendum result. If favourable rates do attract more overseas visitors and domestic tourism increases as indicated above any cut in VAT will not only boost tourism spend considerably, but will create thousands of new jobs and the Treasury will be the main beneficiary.

Peter Adams

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SO THE United Kingdom voted for Brexit! And it would appear that the readers of CLH News were “in sync” with the majority of the country! Our poll was pretty near the mark 54% in favour of leaving, with the actual official vote being 51.9% voting to leave.

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July 2016

Licensing Act 2003 – Lords To Ask: What Happened To ‘Café Culture’?

A HOUSE of Lords Committee set up especially to look at the Licensing Act 2003, and the liberalisation of opening hours, has launched its investigation.

The Committee is now calling for evidence, and will begin its inquiry next week by questioning Government officials from the Home Office, Department of Culture Media and Sport, and the Department of Health, as well as officials from Public Health England.

The Licensing Act 2003 set out to provide greater freedom to the hospitality and leisure industry, as well giving consumers more choice. At the same time the new legislation was intended to grant authorities the appropriate powers to deal with misuse of these freedoms.

The House of Lords Licensing Act 2003 Committee will now investigate the effectiveness of the Act, delving into areas such as: • The balance between rights and responsibilities of both the industry and the public; • The powers of enforcement authorities, including the police; • The impact that any greater availability of alcohol has had on the health of the population;

• Whether the Act has made it easier or harder for communities to enjoy activities that have to be licensed under the Act; • The role of licensing in shaping local areas, for the benefit of the economy and the local community; • Minimum unit pricing and its potential impact; and • Fees and costs associated with the Act. Chair of the Committee Baroness McIntosh of Pickering said: “The Licensing Act 2003 enabled premises to serve alcohol for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

While many heralded the Act as the start of a more continental drinking culture, others predicted round-the-clock consumption, leading to disorder and a deterioration in public health.

"But what has the reality actually been like? Has deregulation allowed the drinks industry to thrive? Have drinkers embraced a more relaxed and healthier approach to alcohol? What happened to the anticipated café culture?

"For good or ill, the Licensing Act has altered the drinking landscape of England and Wales, but an examination of the changes is long overdue. I would therefore encourage as many people as possible to send us written evidence before our deadline of 2 September.”

Minister Says Brexit Could Lead To Abolition Of VAT On Tourism John Whittingdale, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, speaking at a British Hospitality Association (BHA) summit in London said: “If we wanted, for example, to abolish VAT on accommodation or attractions, we could now do so. We couldn’t have done when we were in the European Union” The remarks by the Minister, who oversees tourism and hospitality in the UK, were warmly welcomed by representatives of businesses from across the UK industry.

Mr Whittingdale echoed remarks by Nick Varney, Chairman of the BHA and Chief Executive of Merlin Entertainments, who said: “Tourism and leisure can continue to grow under Brexit. Initially a weaker pound will encourage visitors and also exports will flourish. We should seize the moment and lock in that competitive advantage with a permanent cut to VAT

for accommodation and attractions, and possibly in the future also for restaurants.”

He said that once uncertainty had died down British tourists would feel encouraged to spend more in this country and visitors from Europe would be more likely to visit the UK. Mr Varney is a leader of the Campaign to Cut Tourism VAT, which calls on the Government to reduce the rate of Tourism VAT from 20% to 5%. Across Europe 31 different countries, both inside and outside the EU, already enjoy the benefits of a reduced rate of Tourism VAT, meaning that Britain is losing ground to competitors.

The announcement is a boost to the Campaign, which has already secured the support of 160 MPs across all parties and the support of the three devolved administrations across the UK. Tourism and hospitality accounts for 9.0% of the UK’s GDP, and is our 6th biggest export. The industry employs 10% of the UK’s workforce and has created 1 in 5 new jobs in the past 5 years.

The National Food Crime Unit has launched Food Crime Confidential. This is a reporting facility where anyone with suspicions about food crime can report them safely and in confidence, over the phone or through email. The facility is particularly targeted at those working in or around the UK food industry.

The FSA’s National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) works with partners to protect people from serious criminal activity that impacts the safety or authenticity of food and drink they consume.

Food crime involves dishonesty at any stage in the production or supply of food. It is often complex and likely to be seriously detrimental to consumers, businesses or the general public interest.

NFCU would like to receive any information relating to suspected dishonesty involving food, drink or animal feed. In addition to identifying and being able to tackle specific instances of food crime, such information will help us learn more about the

circumstances that make offending possible.

The National Food Crime Unit would like to hear from anyone if they have suspicions including: • That food or drink contains things which it shouldn’t • That methods used in your workplace for producing, processing, storing, labelling or transporting food do not seem quite right • That an item of food or drink says it is of a certain quality or from a specific place or region, but it doesn’t appear to be.

Head of Food Crime at the FSA, Andy Morling said: 'The National Food Crime Unit is committed to putting consumers first in everything we do. That is why we are launching Food Crime Confidential today to ensure that those with information about food crime can report it in confidence. The facility is open to anyone who has information about food which is being dishonestly produced, manufactured or sold.

'We particularly want to hear from those who work in or around the UK food industry. We recognise that picking up the phone to pass on suspicions about an employer or an associate can be a big deal. That’s why we’ll ensure the information provided will be handled sensitively and professionally.'

Call 0207 276 8787 or email foodcrime@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk

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July 2016

Campaign to Reduce Assaults and Myth Busting June! The Myth: Review Sites Set You Up For Negative Feedback Harassment of Ambulance Staff SOUTH CENTRAL Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) has teamed up with Pubwatch members in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire to promote a new poster campaign to highlight the safety problems faced by front line ambulance staff.

In the past twelve months in the SCAS region, ambulance staff reported that they were physically assaulted 115 times and verbally abused 166 times.

Dave Baker, a Paramedic Team Leader based in High Wycombe said “We are really pleased to be working with Pubwatch on this initiative. Our personnel have to deal with emotionally charged incidents on a daily basis. Unfortunately alcohol or drugs can heighten the tension and intoxicated people can just see a uniform without appreciating that our sole focus needs to be on the injured or sick patient. It can be extremely disheartening for our staff to have to worry about their own personal safety when they may be trying to save someone else’s life”.

“I would like to thank the management and staff of O’Neill’s who kindly allowed us to make use of their premises for the photographic shoot and to our local managers for supporting our involvement in this campaign”.

Charlie Abbott speaking on behalf of High Wycombe Business Improvement District Company which manages the High Wycombe Pubwatch said “At a recent Pubwatch meet-

ing our members overwhelmingly supported the initiative and agreed that they would take action to ban anyone who was violent to ambulance staff or disrupted their work.

Licensees rely on ambulance staff to provide their employees and customers with a good level of care and we think it’s important that we do our best to ensure that they can work in a safe environment”.

The initiative is being piloted in High Wycombe with the support of National Pubwatch; a voluntary organisation set up to achieve a safer drinking environment in all licensed premises. If the initiative proves to be a success then a generic version of the poster(s) will be made available to all Pubwatch schemes in the United Kingdom.

Steve Baker Chair of National Pubwatch said “Ambulance staff have a difficult job and can often find themselves dealing with incidents where the patient or by-standers may have been drinking or taking drugs. In such circumstances people do not always act responsibly. Ambulance staff should be able to work safely in the street or licensed premises without having to watch their back”.

“Licensed premises are highly regulated and supervised environments and whilst I do not believe that the blame can be laid solely at their door I think we have to show that we are doing everything possible to minimise anti-social behaviour and improve safety for everyone working and socialising in our town centres. I am grateful to High Wycombe Pubwatch for agreeing to pilot this initiative”.

SOME INDEPENDENT businesses are not on review sites like TripAdvisor because they believe negative reviews damage their business. But research shows it’s actually more damaging not being on these sites.

Not only do TripAdvisor have 280 million unique visitors a month to take advantage of, but their reviews generated £2bn in visitor spending in the UK 2014. Research conducted on behalf of TripAdvisor found that 400,000 trips to the UK were made after viewing the site.

This shows us that online reviews have a significant influence on users. In fact, a massive 89% of people are influenced by reviews. So, if your property is not found on a review site you are missing out on hundreds of potential guests.

Plus, if your main concern is negative reviews, the way you respond to reviews can actually help you generate more business! 79% of people we asked said they would actually agree with the manager’s response if a good response is made compare to the 64% that would be put off booking if they saw a defensive or aggressive response.

So how should you reply to a negative comment?

• Acknowledge and thank them for leaving the review.

• Don’t get defensive.

• If possible, explain what action will be taken to resolve the issue.

• Take the response to private message, to resolve the problem.

• If it is a problem with infrastructure issues, thank them for bringing it to your attention and say that you may consider changing in the future.

Here is a good example of how to respond to a negative

review: Thank you [customer’s name] for taking the time to let us know about your stay. I am sorry that the toilet flush in your room was loud. We will take action based on your review and we thank you for bringing it to our attention. Kind Regards [your name].

Diffuse the bomb before they leave a bad review In an ideal world, you would be able to resolve any issues with your guest before they leave a less than favourable review. It’s important to always be one step ahead with any kind of complaint.

However, on the odd occasion, a guest may be particularly hard to please during a stay at your property. The mattress is too hard for their liking, the curtains let too much light in, the bath fills up too slowly etc. And though this is rare, when this kind of situation happens, you have to know how to calm the customer down and get them back onside, at least as much as you can. Ideally, you want to deal with this as it’s happening, however on the odd occasion a guest may only raise these issues at the end of their stay.

In times such as these, there is still a chance to turn the situation around. Perhaps giving a discount off the bill, or something free is a good way of showing customers that you do really care about the quality of their stay, and that you want to fix any problems that may have arisen. If it’s a repeat customer, you may want to offer a discount on their next visit. However: Do not give in to blackmail… we’ve all heard examples of guests demanding a discount at the end of their stay and using TripAdvisor as a weapon to get a cheaper rate for no reason at all. ONLY give a discount or freebie if the guest has a legitimate complaint.

Red Lion Lady Named Beer Drinker of 2016 Spicing Up the South Tyneside Festival

ANDREW GRIFFITHS MP presents Cathy Price with the ‘Beer Drinker of the Year’ award Cathy Price has been named as the “Beer Drinker of the Year” by the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group Chairman, Andrew Griffiths, MP for Burton on Trent. The presentation was made last night at the Beer Group’s Annual Awards Dinner in Westminster which attracted over 200 MPs, Peers and senior industry figures.

Presenting the award Andrew said “In 2011, when Cathy learned that the Red Lion is the most popular pub name in the country, she set herself the challenge of visiting every single one of them. This was no small task as there are 656 of them spread across the length and breadth of the country; from Penzance in Cornwall to Fochabers by the River Spey in the North of Scotland.”

“She completed her challenge

last September and used every opportunity during her quest to highlight the pivotal role that pubs play in our communities; in interviews with newspapers, radio and TV. She has published a book, the Red Lioness*, describing the pubs she visited in vivid detail.”

“Cathy enjoyed a half-pint in every Red Lion that she visited which by my calculation adds up to 328 pints of beer, making her perfectly qualified to be our Beer Drinker of the Year.”

The Beer Group also presented its other awards: • Brewer of the Year: John Keeling, Head Brewer at Fullers.

• Lifetime Achievement: Yaser Martini, Team Margot • Beer Parliamentarian of the Year: Roy Kennedy, Baron Kennedy of Southwark.

• Pub Parliamentarian of the Year: Victoria Prentis, MP for Banbury.

• PubAid Award: Greene King

SUMMER IS hotting up in South Tyneside, as businesses give their backing to one of the borough’s biggest events.

Zeera Indian Cuisine at Ocean Road, South Shields, is among the sponsors already signed up for the South Tyneside Festival 2016.

The event, organised by South Tyneside Council, annually attracts thousands of visitors to the borough and is returning with its biggest ever line up during June, July and August.

Zeera, which specialises in gourmet Indian food served in opulent and stylish surroundings, is supporting the festival’s Sunday Concert series, which will welcome performances by acts including Alexandra Burke, The Proclaimers, Tony Hadley and UB40 over four consecutive Sundays in July.

Shah Choudhury, owner of the award-winning eatery, said: “The South Tyneside Festival is a huge event for South Shields and the surrounding area and we often get people coming to eat at Zeera after attending one of its free concerts or family-focussed activities.

“This year we are delighted to be

getting more actively involved as a sponsor and look forward to welcoming more visitors throughout the summer.”

The South Tyneside Festival’s Sunday Concert series, which is being sponsored by Zeera, as well as Port of Tyne, Colmans fish and chips and NCS (National Citizen Service), will launch on July 10 with an open air performance by X Factor favourites Alexandra Burke, Ben Haenow and Reggie ‘n’ Bollie.

This will be followed in Bents Park, South Shields by The Proclaimers and Lindisfarne on July 17, Tony Hadley on July 24 and UB40 on July 31.

Councillor Alan Kerr, Deputy Leader of South Tyneside Council, with responsibility for Culture and Leisure, said: “The Sunday Concert series is a key part of the South Tyneside Festival and it is the support of sponsors like Zeera Indian Cuisine that help to make it such as success year on year.”

For more information visit www.visitsouthtyneside.co.uk call the South Tyneside Visitor Information Centre on 0191 424 7788, like South Tyneside Events’ Facebook page or follow STynesideEvents on Twitter.

Front Of House Staff Found To Be Most Influential Factor In Diners Choice Of Wine A COMPREHENSIVE survey carried out by Veraison - the new wine-service education programme- and guest experience management experts HospitalityGEM, has found knowledgeable front of house staff to be the most influential factor when diners consider their wine choice. More than half of respondents (57 per cent) cited that a recommendation from their waiter or waitress led to them being more adventurous with their choice of beverage.

Despite this influence, the research revealed that a significant majority of diners (53 per cent), felt that front of house staff in both restaurants and bars did not know enough about the wines on their wine list and a high proportion of those questioned (42 per cent), would be more inclined to buy a bottle of wine if a front of house team member recommended it.

July 2016

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The survey highlights the need for knowledgeable and confident front of house staff in creating the ideal dining experience and consequently identifies potential for greater profit for the business.

At present, familiarity is key when it comes to decisionmaking; the most common reason to choose a bottle of wine being whether it is a recognisable brand, grape or region (45 per cent), followed by the food that they have chosen (22 per cent).

The findings also highlight the need for Veraison’s bespoke training programme, which seeks to establish a new standard of training in the wine industry by focussing on the practical skills needed by front-of-house staff to provide premium wine service for the on-trade.

Discussing the results, Clara Rubin of Veraison, says: “With 64% of diners choosing wine over any other beverage to accompany their meal, it’s worrying how prevalent the lack of knowledge is amongst front of house staff.

Brits Ditching Airbnb In Favour Of Expensive Hotels This Summer THE SUMMER Barometer 2016™ from Ferratum Group has revealed that less than 1% (0.21%) of UK households are intending to use Airbnb accommodation during their summer holidays this year.

The research showed that households in the UK are planning to spend over a fifth of their disposable income (22.5%) on travelling this summer, both at home and abroad. Instead of booking often cheaper Airbnb accommodation, Brits are actually splashing out on hotels and are willing to spend over €100 a night during their summer holidays - with only the Nordics intending to spend the same amount or more, in the study of European consumers.

Ferratum also found that travel takes up the majority of UK spend over the summer months, with only 10.5% of intended summer spend going on other items such as new clothes and social activities.

Tony Gundersen, UK Country Manager for Ferratum Group comments: “This year’s Summer Barometer™ clearly demonstrates how much the UK prioritises summer holidays when it comes to overall spending throughout the year.

Despite disrupting the hotel sector, it is clear that British travellers still prefer the comforts of a hotel over living in rented Airbnb accommodation. Travel and hospitality providers across the globe have a strong opportunity to ben-

efit from the increased customer demand coming out of the UK this summer, and must prepare accordingly to reap the rewards of this busy period.”

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July 2016

Build a Better Mouse Trap

MITIE’S PETER Trotman discusses how a change in biocide regulations may encourage intelligent pest management solutions:-

Back in the 19th century when Emmerson said “build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door”, it’s commonly thought that he meant “build a better product” and everyone will want it.

These days, building a better product is challenged by legalities, client culture, social responsibility, environmental concerns and more. The pest control business is no different and is subject to various influences that affect how it operates.

In 2013, there was a significant change in the regulation concerning the use of biocidal products. European Directive 98/8/EC, was repealed and replaced to affect the availability and conditions of use of all biocides - including rodenticides and insecticides.

To the general public and commercial clients, this legal change probably slipped by, unnoticed. For those of us in the pest control business, it signalled the potential to transform the face of pest control forever.

An IT-based system Forewarned is forearmed; by using a comprehensive range of techniques bespoke to each site and employing a targeted and monitored approach, it’s possible to deliver ‘intelligent pest management’ to your clients.

Conventional pest control methods tend to adopt the blanket approach of laying down pesticides all over a premises with hope of dispatching as many pests as possible. This is not the most efficient means of pest control, neither is it environmentally friendly and can pose safety issues for employees, customers or resident guests. Excessive application of pesticides or rodenticides certainly increases contamination threat to goods being stored, which is a disastrous risk in a service industry. A side order of poisoning on the menu would not be good for business.

Ideally you need a pest control strategy that monitors and pre-empts pest activity patterns so rodenticide use can be targeted – if required. By taking advantage of IT based systems that improve methods of recording, reporting and information access, you increase the percentage of effectiveness in pest management quite significantly. At Mitie we have noticed that response times on average have reduced from two weeks to two days by using an intelligent pest management approach.

Through an online system, the pest controller and the client can monitor all pest management activities, give recommendations, log visits and photographs, measure regulation compliance and use all this information as evidence of compliance for auditors. Being online means that all relevant information is accessible via PC or mobile devices, giving total control over pest risk.

Actually build a better mousetrap Wouldn’t it be useful to have a mousetrap that told you when it caught a mouse? Well you can. The remote monitoring rodent unit* does just that. The proof is in the using and our clients, Atkins and Potts, have found it successful at their pro-

duction kitchens. As they are organic food producers with Soil Association accreditation, the remote monitoring rodent unit complies with the Soil Association’s strict safety requirements. There’s no possible rodenticide contamination with this method of pest control.

The remote monitoring rodent unit registers when a rodent is trapped and sends an immediate alert with the precise location to a web-based system with real-time data. This enables a rapid response for rodent removal which is a crucial requirement on food production sites. Atkins and Potts owner Robert Young explains how this system benefited his business: “Consultants carried out a thorough survey of the property, checking and fixing any weak spots. They then installed the traps and infra-red technology to identify mouse tracks, and I can now say with absolute confidence that since the work was carried out we haven’t had any vermin on site.”

Sniffing out the problem Another specialised area of pest control that usually employs high amounts of pesticides, is bed bug detection.

The tiny bed bug is an expert in the art of concealment.

Even today, detection usually depends on human eyesight which is unreliable. Therefore, the ‘blanket’ approach to extermination by pesticide often still occurs. This isn’t environmentally friendly or safe to immediate occupants of the infested space. In a hotel, where there’s a frequent risk of bed bug activity, it’s unsafe for residents and staff to be exposed to unnecessarily high volumes of toxic pesticide.

There is a safer and more accurate alternative to bed bug detection which is to use a highly trained nose – a sniffer dog.

They can detect bed bug infestations quickly and accurately, allowing for timely and targeted treatment to eradicate the pests. In fact, sniffer dog detection is 98% accurate, compared to that of a human which is only 30%.

This fast and precise type of detection means that pest controllers can deliver a holistic and responsible service to clients.

There’s no unnecessary delay to business or indiscriminate use of pesticides that might endanger health.

It’s all about service In the end, it’s not so much about building the better mousetrap, but how solutions fit with a customers’ needs. These are usually economically driven - whether it’s saving time and money, offering a discreet service or avoiding anything detrimental to client reputation. As in the case of Atkins and Potts, a business critical requirement was having an environmentally friendly solution that limited or removed the use of rodenticides.

Meeting the client’s needs is always going to be a challenge to the pest controller, but equipping ourselves with a flexible strategy that allows for bespoke solutions gives us a head start.

When we combine flexibility with innovation, the future possibilities and service solutions are almost boundless.

To find out more about Intelligent Pest Management: www.mitie.com/services/specialist-services/ pest-control/intelligent-pest-management

Royal Harbour Hotel Reports Post Brexit Surge THE OWNER of Ramsgate’s award-winning Royal Harbour Hotel, James Thomas, has reported a surge in new booking enquiries following the result of the referendum to leave the EU. Within days the outcome the 27-room boutique hotel, which overlooks the town’s pretty harbor, has been inundated with enquiries from overseas visitors, attracted by the fall in the value of sterling.

“We’ve always enjoy a good number guests from abroad, but have experienced nothing like this before,” said Thomas, “Although we are almost full for the summer, were also talking bookings for later in the year from Brits who will enjoy a ‘staycation’ rather than travel abroad for a European city-break.

“If repeated across Kent and around the country, this tendency is very good news indeed for local business and the UK economy as a whole,” said Thomas, who is critical of the “doom and gloom mongers” who have painted a distorted negative view of the refer-

endum decision.

The boost shows how price sensitive the tourist market is, says Thomas, and justifies the industry’s call to lower the UK’s 20% VAT rate on hospitality – double that of France.

Craig Mather, the new head chef of the hotel’s Empire Room restaurant, says the local fisherman from whom he buys his fish, are “ecstatic” about the decision which will see an end to the Common Fisheries Policy, that has devastated the British fishing industry.

Mather, former head chef at the town’s popular Eddie Gilbert’s seafood restaurant (now closed), who recently left his post as chef-lecturer at East Kent College, for a partnership in the restaurant said, “We’re focused on quality, season, local produce – but the removal of trade barriers with the rest of the world will allow British businesses to renew trading relationships with Commonwealth partners – which suits a business called ‘The Empire Room’.”

Royal Harbour Hotel has just received a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for 2016 following consistent top scores on the customer reviews websites.

Top Honours Go To Badgemaster At The Professional Clothing Show Name badge manufacturer, Badgemaster, scooped three highly commended awards at the Professional Clothing Awards last week; Best IT Innovation and Website, Made in the UK, and Best Manufacturer/Distributer.

Celebrating their achievements, Badgemaster was centre stage receiving the awards from Olympic star and TV presenter Sharron Davies at the glamorous event in London last week.

Co-founder and Managing Director, John Bancroft MBE describes his pride and delight at the achievements of their 100+ team: “To receive these awards is a great honour – for our team, our clients, and for the local community in Nottinghamshire. To be globally recognised for our achievements is one of the great landmarks in our journey to deliver unparalleled products and service for our customers.”

Award 1. Best IT Innovation and Website Badgemaster.co.uk launched their new site with many innovative features earlier this year, providing enhanced services to customers to help them access highest quality, personalised badges with the famous Badgemaster price guarantee easily and efficiently.

Bespoke badge design, helpful product information, expert advice and instant price quotations are part of the Badgemaster.co.uk experience.

Badgemaster customers can now place orders online giving them the fastest, the most accurate and the most economical way that there is to order a name badge. With an average of 50 new enquiries and over 200 orders a day, the website is a key part of Badgemaster’s customer service, helping 27,000 customers and 5 million people and an estimated 5,000,000 people wear

Badgemaster’s name badges every day.

Award 2. Made in the UK Badgemaster, Europe’s largest name badge manufacturer, had its first factory in a small portacabin in Hucknall, Nottingham.

Twenty-four years later, the state of art purpose built facility 12,000 square foot facility still resides in nearby Newstead Nottinghamshire today. The company plays an important role in the local community, receiving Governmental recognition for staff training and environmental responsibility; subjects close the hearts of many of Badgemaster’s 100 + employees, who come from the local ex-mining community.

Badgemaster’s focus on British suppliers of the highest calibre has also earned the company the British Standards Institute Accreditations for Quality and Environmental Management.

Award 3. Best Manufacturer/Distributer Badgemaster’s best in class reusable name badge, Instabadge®, was recognised for its quality and customer service benefits. It enables customers to create bespoke, professionally designed badges within their own premises. it’s unique and innovative design enables customers to have almost all the quality and appearance of a professionally made ready to wear badge with all the economy and convenience of a reusable one.

Its benefits have been widely recognised, with already over 2,000 customers now enjoying the Instabadge benefits. As well as being available from Badgemaster directly, it is also now distributed through corporate clothing companies, catalogue and office stationery suppliers.

For more information about Badgemaster, call their customer services team on 01623 723 112, email customerservices@badgemaster.co.uk or visit www.badgemaster.co.uk.

Hoteliers are Struggling to Compete Online “HOTELIERS ARE struggling to compete onlineHere’s Why” was the first instalment in a series of trivago Live talks, aimed at raising debate and exchange on key topics within the hospitality industry. Guest speakers were Frank Martin, Hotelier CEO & Co-Founder of Base7Booking PMS, and Johannes Thomas Managing Director of trivago. trivago presented what is preventing hoteliers from being competitive online, followed by a discussion on the role technology has in overcoming this. trivago identified three route causes as to why hoteliers are struggling to compete online: • The available technology to market, manage and sell a hotel is not accessible. Expensive licensing fees, investing in hardware and systems developed for larger hotels make it unintuitive to use as a smaller business.

• Hotel booking engines are often not competitive. They are rarely optimised resulting in poor user experience and lower conversions • Marketing channels (SEO, Display Advertising, Email marketing etc.) are too complex. Chain hotels have dedicated marketing teams to manage these channels which are not tailored to a smaller hotelier’s resources or expertise.

A discussion regarding these points followed.

Martin relates to the struggles; “As a hotelier I want to be free and my own boss.’ He continues ‘when we didn't find any user-friendly and straightforward solution, we came up with the idea of creating our own (Base7Booking PMS)”.

The two agreed “the role of technology is getting increasingly important, and hoteliers must embrace this new era in order to ensure strong online visibility, drive direct bookings and improve guest satisfaction.” But what are they doing to solve this as tech providers themselves?

Martin’s perspective is that, as a company, crowdsourcing information is key in order to know where to go next to develop technology.

Johannes answered that over the past year “trivago has built up a dedicated business team focused entirely on alleviating hoteliers’ pains by working towards three key solutions”: • Understanding the needs of hotel managers better, and finding ways to meet these needs.

• Being available to hoteliers: trivago has established a team of specialists to support hoteliers with their marketing, fine-tune their profile, increase their exposure, and improve their ranking on trivago while running direct marketing campaigns.

• Becoming simpler, to enable hoteliers to navigate trivago successfully and make the most of it to grow their businesses online.

The session is available for viewing here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKEwiJvqsAg

More Britons to Take A ‘Staycation’ In 2016 DESPITE ON-GOING economic and political uncertainty surrounding Britain’s membership of the European Union, this month’s Greene King Leisure Tracker indicates that British households are optimistic about their holiday plans for the rest of the year, with 71% of adults expecting to take at least one holiday between now and the end of 2016.

Most Britons expect to take a ‘staycation’ during the period, continuing a trend that remains popular post the economic crisis. Around 85% of British households expect to take at least one domestic holiday between now and the end of the year, a 3% increase on the same figure captured in 2015.

Eating Out is the activity people are looking forward to most, with 87% of those taking a staycation stating they plan to dine out during their trip. Drinking Out is the second most popular activity, with 69% overall saying they’ll enjoy a drink while on their break.

Overall, the average British household spent £207 on out of home leisure in May; a £7, or 3%, decrease year-on-year.

This decline is likely to have been impacted by half-term falling in June, and was driven exclusively by a £8, or 10%, fall in Other Leisure spending, with Drinking Out once again showing resilience with a small £1, or 2%, increase year-onyear.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS • The average British household spent £207 on out of home leisure in May, a £7 (3%) decrease year-on-year and a £2 (1%) increase on the previous month • The longstanding stability of spending on Drinking Out was evident once more in May, increasing £1 (2%) year-on-year and £2 (5%) month-on-month • In terms of the mix of leisure spend, Other Leisure’s share decreased by 3% in May compared to the previous month, while Eating Out’s share decreased by 1% • The impact of the Easter school holidays in April saw households with kids reduce spending by £30 (12%) month-on-month, while households without kids actually increased spending by £13 (7%) • Other Leisure spending on outdoor activities, such as Live Sports and Other Live events, saw smalls increases due to the slowly improving weather and start of festival season Commenting on this month’s Leisure Spend Tracker, Rob Rees, Greene King group marketing director said: “On the eve of a momentous decision for the British public, this month’s Greene King Leisure Spend Tracker suggests that many households are looking forward to enjoying some wellearned holidays post Referendum. Meanwhile, total leisure spending in May has fallen compared with the same period last year, driven mostly by a sizeable reduction in spending on Other Leisure activities.”

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Nearly 20,000 Restaurants Risk Losing 61% of Customers Due to Poor Food Hygiene RESTAURANTS WITH low food hygiene ratings are risking their survival, with 61% of consumers saying they’ll boycott such establishments, according to research from Checkit (http://www.checkit.net/). 18,379 restaurants, takeaways, sandwich/coffee shops, hotels and pubs in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are at risk, as they currently have a Food Standards Agency Food Hygiene Rating of two or below, meaning they require improvement to their practices and processes.

The study, carried out by food safety technology company Checkit, found that London is the city with the largest number of food businesses at risk (5,092), while Birmingham has the highest percentage (17%) of restaurants scoring two or below. It is followed by Leicester (14%), London (14%) and Manchester (11%). Overall, 7% of cafes, canteens, restaurants, mobile caterers, pubs, takeaways, sandwich shops and hotels in England, Wales and Northern Ireland fail to meet the hygiene standards that consumers demand*.

Across the UK takeaways and sandwich shops are the sector in most danger of being shunned by diners, with 14% of them having a food hygiene rating of two or below. This figure rises to 28% of Birmingham and Manchester takeaways, and over half (52%) of those in the London borough of Newham. Given that 64% of consumers say they’d avoid take-

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aways with low food hygiene ratings, this will have a major impact on the sector’s revenues and individual business survival.

Also in the Checkit research, three quarters (75%) of consumers said they wouldn’t risk dining at a restaurant that had been implicated in a food hygiene incident, even if recommended by someone that they trust. Customers would even rather put up with poor service from rude and unhelpful staff than eat at dirty restaurants. 66% of respondents rated unclean or dirty premises as the first or second reason for not returning to a restaurant. Just 16% cited slow or poor service and 32% said rude or unhelpful staff would stop them coming back to a restaurant.

“The food business is incredibly competitive, with nearly 60% of restaurants failing in their first three years of operation,” said David Davies, Managing Director, Checkit. “Our research shows that good food hygiene is the number one factor in where diners choose to eat – and that they simply won’t return to places where there has been a food hygiene incident. Yet our analysis finds that nearly 20,000 restaurants require improvement to meet basic Food Standards Agency standards. Owners of food businesses are risking their revenues and survival, as well as the health of their customers, by not taking hygiene seriously.”

The Checkit Study is based on research carried out online with 1,000 consumers by Toluna in H1 2016, combined with analysis of the Food Standards Agency’s Food Hygiene Rating Scheme website on 7th June 2016.

Regale Complete The Buy-Out Of Cavity Protection Systems Ltd AS FROM 1st June 2016, Regale Microwave Ovens Ltd (Established in 1983) under the Directorship of Barry Clark and Patrick Bray have now completed the buy-out of its sister company Cavity Protection Systems Ltd. The financiers of CPSL, Alex Grant and Nigel Barker resigned their directorship earlier in the year. Although a request for the company to be struck off at companies house has been made, Regale have made sure that the name, Cavity Protection Systems Ltd will live on as the logo and name are registered trademarks, which are now owned by Regale who will continue to use them.

The buy-out included all the trademarks, patents and intellectual property (which was in the name of Cavity Protection Systems Ltd and Patrick L Bray – Barry Clark inventor(s). All stock, plant and materials including the production tools and their design) were all included in the buyout. Now, completely under the control of Patrick Bray and Barry Clark, means that all existing agreements made by the former company are now being renegotiated with Regale who obviously guarantee any outstanding debts (currently

nil).

Barry Clark, Director, says “this is a very exciting time for Regale as the concept of the Microsave Cavity Liner and the re-launch in 2014 at Hotelympia, hundreds of thousands of pounds have been spent in promotions, plant etc, which is now coming into fruition. We are now able to consolidate our trading position with exclusivity of the Microsave Liners for the Panasonic and Daewoo microwave ovens in the UK giving our dealerships an advantage over their competition as members of the ‘Regale Dealer Network’. We will continue to produce our products at an extremely competitive price as we enter into exporting not only to Australasia (for the past 12 months) but have now signed an exclusive distributor agreement for Europe with CAP Performance (France).

Although one or two other manufacturers have produced a different type of liner (in order not to contravene our Patents, Design rights and Trademarks) but they do not take into consideration airflows, cavity illumination, leaving gaps so that spills are not retained and with ‘old food’ traps in the lining, neither of them have full NSF Worldwide Certification for hygiene and safety nor are ‘Approved Products’ by the UK’s Craft Guild of Chefs! Regale are proud to have both these qualifications and also the fact that there are now over 15000 units in daily use in the UK”

Hotel Wi-Fi over Coax Wireless Internet access systems from Rejuvenate are based on our Wi-Fi over Coaxial solution, which provides an enterprise grade network over the hotel and access points in each room using the hotel TV infrastructure.

Our hotel Wi-Fi over Coax systems are incredibly easy to install, which means they suit almost every type of hotel infrastructure and style. Access points just plug in behind TVs, so there is no disruption to business and the hotel décor remains untouched.

The coaxial cable infrastructure of a hotel allows network speeds up to 320MBs, and data can travel up to 1km through coax.

Our Access Points are low cost, and the savings made in installation costs are massive. Even ongoing costs are reduced.

Connecting Wi-Fi over coaxial cable is the obvious choice for technical and practical reasons, Rejuvenate networks are faster, more rugged and lower maintenance than the standard Ethernet cabled networks we are used to.

Contact us on 01202 237273 or email info@rejuvenate.it for more information

FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS VISIT THE CATERER, LICENSEE & HOTELIER WEBSITE AT

www.catererlicensee.com OR FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @CLHNEWS

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Early Adoption of Statutory Code Needed to Avoid Further Confusion BBPA Releases 2016 Benchmarking Data for Tenants and Lessees FOLLOWING THE publication of a revised Statutory Code for Pubs, the ALMR has welcomed the move towards clarification but urged the Government to implement the code at the earliest opportunity.

ALMR Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “The publication of the revised Code will provide licensees with some peace of mind and a sense of clarification on an issue that has dragged on for some time now.

“We note with some concern, however, that the revised

Code appears to give no mention of a solid implementation date, only that the legislation will take effect the day after its approval.

“Any further delays risk adding to the sense of uncertainty, undermining confidence and investment and will pose further problems for any lessees with ongoing issues.

“The ALMR will be pressing BIS and the Committee Clerk to provide us with a degree of certainty regarding the timetable for implementation. The ALMR will also continue to work closely with its members, providing support and information at our workshops, during this period of transition.”

ESP Renewable Energy Solutions

RENEWABLE ENERGY has become mainstream and affordable in recent years and should be considered for heating and lighting in all new projects.

ESP energy are MCS accredited, ensuring that your project will be implemented to the highest standards. Our experience of over three hundred commercial installations has included the following - Heat Pumps, Solar Panels, Underfloor Heating, Biomass Boilers, Combined Heat & Power (CHP) and District heating schemes.

We have recently completed a 2.2MW scheme is the picturesque tourist attraction “Portmeirion” in N Wales. A total of 27 properties have been linked together onto one dis-

trict heating scheme with over 3.5 miles of underground pipework.

This project tested our skill and ingenuity, due to the 70m height difference from the castle at the top, to the hotel at the bottom, areas of pure rock to dig through and delicate architecture.

This project was carried out in the winter months, between November and March, when there were fewer visitors to the village – The site was open to the public the entire time! All work had to be scheduled around the paying guests and their requirements.

ESP energy can be contacted at info@ESPenergy.co.uk or phone 01743 718003, to discuss your project or requirements or see the advert on page 9.

Our Bar Saves £7000 Every Year After installing a single LineClenze device

JOHN WATSON, one of our clients at the Drayton Manor Hotel was astounded when he found out he was set to save £7,000 every year simply by reducing the amount of beer he would normally throw away during the line cleaning process of a single hotel bar.

“Our bar now saves £7000 every year... I cannot recommend the device highly enough.”

The Lineclenze device is a small, compact box that agitates the yeast molecules in beer lines, lessening the amount of cleans required by 75%.

Paul, at the Riverside Bar, StratfordUpon-Avon says: "Anyone wanting to save money should consider the LineClenze system it is well-worth the investment. We have 15 lines here at the Riverside Bar, each

holding 4 pints, which we pour down the drain every time we clean the lines. Thanks to LineClenze we have reduced our line cleaning from weekly to monthly, resulting in significant savings.

What's more our customers tell us that our beer tastes better now!"

With devices installed around the UK in varying different venues, ranging from hotels to pubs, from sports clubs to theme parks, Lineclenze have a positive portfolio of happy customers making yearly savings ranging from £3000 to £20,000 per bar depending on their wastage levels.

For more information on Lineclenze whether that be to delve deeper into the technical side of the device or to browse our testimonials, please visit us at: www.lineclenze.com To arrange a free quote call: 0800 1701564 or email: enquiries@lineclenze.com

THE BBPA has released the updated 2016 cost guide for tenants and lessees. The information provided is intended to help those wishing to take on a tenanted or leased pub business to be as well informed as possible about the costs involved in running a pub.

When developing business plans, and negotiating over leases and tenancies in the UK pub trade, it is very important to know all of the facts, and the BBPA’s guide provides valuable data for tenants and lessees on typical operating costs in the tied pub sector. The guide gives existing tenants and lessees the opportunity to benchmark their own business, and compare their own costs against industry norms.

The 2016 data shows that energy costs take up a significant proportion of turnover for pub companies. With this in mind, the BBPA has recently published wide-ranging guidance for tenants and lessees on how to lower their energy costs, which can be found on the BBPA’s Environment web pages.

The guide shows the average cost of running a pub over a range of pub models based on turnover and business types. It

covers a wide range of pubs, from those with little in the way of food sales, to those that are largely food led, and takes account of the significant variations that exist in the cost base even within those pubs that are broadly in the same category.

Such costs are based on the size and location of the pub, the age and state of repair, the operating style and the experience of those in charge.

As well as providing average costs, the guide also includes the minimum and maximum typical costs providing a range of scenarios across different types of business.

Brigid Simmonds, Chief Executive, BBPA, says: “Our updated 2016 report provides the latest figures to help anyone thinking of investing in a pub, or those who are already in the trade. Publicans in the leased and tenanted sectors, or anyone else, can download it free of charge.

“Business plans, and the negotiations over leases and tenancies, need to be as well informed as possible, and so this should be a great help to all those running a Great British Pub.”

Jason Atherton’s Social Sunday Success

ON SUNDAY 5th June, award winning chef Jason Atherton once again hosted a series of fundraising lunches with special guest chefs to raise money for Hospitality Action across The Social Company restaurants raising a staggering £51,851.

Guests were treated to an exquisite five course tasting menu at Pollen Street Social cooked by Jason Atherton, a Trustee at Hospitality Action, with special guest chefs Tom Kerridge, Claude Bosi and Sat Bains.

At Little Social, Cary Docherty cooked an impromptu feast with guest chef Greg Marchand from Frenchie, using seasonal produce gathered the day before on a market ‘road trip’.

Paul Hood collaborated with special guest chef Tom Sellers of Story and Restaurant Ours at Social Eating

House, located in the heart of Soho.

Lunch at Social Wine & Tapas included a stunning tapas menu by Frankie Van Loo with Barrafina’s Nieves Barragán Mohacho.

Alex Craciun, Chef Patron at Jason’s newest opening Sosharu, served up a 7-course omakase-style tasting menu with matching wine and sake pairings.

City Social’s Paul Walsh, with special guest chef Liam Smith-Laing from 100 Wardour Street, collaborated on a modern European menu, with incredible view across London.

On Monday 6th June, in the Penthouse of The London EDITION, Jason Atherton hosted an exclusive dinner with special guest David Gandy, the world’s first male supermodel, to talk about his career to date, with Berners Tavern’s Phil Carmichael cooking an indulgent 5-course menu.

Punch’s Great British Pub Quiz Reaches Regional Final Stage AS THE dates for the regional finals are announced, figures have revealed that over 1,000 Punch pubs have taken part in this year’s Great British Pub Quiz.

The teams who have made it to this stage have now been invited to a local Punch pub to compete to reach the national final taking place on Sunday 25th September 2016. There is only one spot available at the national final per region, with only the best pub quizzers making the last stage held at Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Molineux Stadium.

Stephen Martin, Category Manager at Punch, says, ‘Punch Publicans see a huge benefit in taking part in Britain’s biggest

pub quiz with retail sales and footfall increasing significantly. The 1,004 Publicans have hosted over 6,000 transactional evenings between them with the resulting retail sales coming to nearly £1million across all participating pubs.’

Each of the 20 pubs hosting a regional final will be working with Redtooth, professional event organisers, who are experts at driving footfall into pubs. The events company provides the venues with plasma TVs and a full mic set to ensure the night runs smoothly for the respective Publican. In addition to enjoying a fun-filled quiz, all teams will each be offered eight free pints as well as a buffet lunch at no cost. Four personalised tshirts will also be given to each team to make them stand out from the crowd and hopefully spur them on to success.

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Chef Shortage Getting Worse Says Recruitive British Business Under Threat As Long

MAY SAW the highest ever number of job vacancies advertised within the catering industry, according to figures released by recruitment software provider, Recruitive.

Following a steady month on month increase over the past 2 years, Recruitive’s multi-job posting software recorded the highest ever number of catering job vacancies advertised in May, suggesting that the shortage of chefs is still ongoing.

Richard Clarke, Managing Director at Recruitive comments; “Whilst the UK restaurant scene is booming, our figures suggest that the shortage of chefs is still a very

prevalent issue and one which shows no signs of slowing down. Not only have we seen an increase in the number of vacancies advertised, we have also experienced a decrease in the average number of candidates applying for the positions which is very concerning.”

Lee Vitali, Director of specialist Job Board, The Chef House, believes there are a number of factors contributing to the shortage: “The number of restaurants within the UK continues to increase and there are not enough trained chefs to meet the demand. We also have a lack of students entering the industry and this is not helped by TV cooking shows not always portraying kitchen culture in the best of lights.”

Travel Site Removes ALL Of Donald Trump’s Hotels From Online Portfolio UK hotel booking site EarnAway is to remove all Trump hotels from its website.

The founders of EarnAway, which allows its members to earn cashback on their hotel bookings, have said that they ‘refuse to contribute any further to Trump’s domination of the American political system’.

The move coincides with Trump’s visit to the UK to officially open his developed property, The Turnberry Hotel, in South-West Scotland on June 24th, by which time, according to the founders of EarnAway all of Donald Trump’s hotels currently featured on travel cashback site EarnAway.com will have been removed in a bid to encourage other travel companies to follow suit and halt the self-funded Billionaire’s political proposals for the future of America.

The Co-Founder of EarnAway (www.earnaway.com), Robert Berrisford, said:*llshit action to the catering chalets

“At EarnAway we have historically offered our customers the best deals on trips to some of Donald Trump’s most well-known international hotels, such as The Trump SoHo in New York, The Trump Plaza in New Jersey and Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. However, we have now made the decision to remove all of his hotels and resorts from our website as we feel it’s ethically and morally wrong for us to effectively help fund and contribute to a political campaign that we have such strong opposition to.

“I am not at all worried about this decision having a detrimental effect on our business; in fact, we have already had a number of complaints from some of our regular customers who don’t appreciate the fact that we promote Trump’s hotels in the first place. Hopefully, we can inspire other online travel agencies to follow suit and dissuade Britons from sending any extra money his way!”

Acclaimed Chefs Lend Their Support to KP of the Year 2016

THIS YEAR marks the fourth Kitchen Porter (KP) of the Year competition and so far it is going great guns. Entries have been pouring in from all across the UK, with many esteemed chefs such as Chris McGowan (Wine & Brine) and Jay Eisenstadt (Stormont Hotel) lending their support.

KP of the Year was developed by Winterhalter UK in partnership with The Caterer as way of recognising and celebrating the challenging, diverse and often overlooked role KPs play in the commercial kitchen. As well as pubs and restaurants, the competition is open to schools, universities, conferences and hotels across the UK. Any establishment with a KP worth praising should consider entering.

“It’s not just about standing next to a machine, it’s so much more than that,” says Chris McGowan, owner and executive chef of Wine & Brine. “To me, a good KP is as good and important as a senior chef de partie.

“They’re the absolute backbone of the kitchen.”

The prizes include £1000 cash for the winner, a celebratory meal and a free Winterhalter warewasher for their workplace. Anyone who enters will receive an exclusive KP

of the Year presentation tin and apron, created by Oliver Harvey, and the two runners up each receive £250 in cash.

Many chefs get their first taste of the kitchen as KPs, and it can be an important stepping-stone for anyone looking for a career in hospitality.

“We had a young guy, William, from the Ivory Coast,” says Chris. “He was KP for us, and then we moved him on to the vegetable section. He went on to work with Gary Rhodes and the last I heard he was the head chef in a five-star hotel in London.

“I started work as a kitchen porter. A lot of chefs do, so for me the role of KP can never be undermined.”

While it can lead to careers in other areas of the kitchen, for many establishments the role of KP is a profession in itself.

“The guys I have now are more what we call professional kitchen porters. It’s what they do and they do it well,” says Jay Eisenstadt, head chef at Stormont Hotel. “I don’t have one on staff that would let me down. I’m very lucky and it’s taken me years to cultivate them.

“They are the glue that holds the kitchen together”.

For more information about the competition and how to enter, head to kpoftheyear.com. The deadline for entries is 5th August 2016.

Lunches Become A Thing Of The Past

BRITISH BUSINESS is under threat from a decline in professional networking opportunities resulting from the ‘death’ of the business lunch, according to new research.

The study, commissioned by restaurant booking platform, Bookatable.co.uk, reveals that two thirds of Brits (66 per cent) who have been working since the 80s have seen a decline in business lunches over their careers. 30 per cent of workers in professions that rely on relationship building – such as marketing, advertising and PR – worry that the decline could harm their business.

For many professions, business lunches are critical to signing deals and 40 per cent of workers say that the opportunity to bond with clients or consultants over lunch is the key driver to signing on the dotted line. A quarter of British workers (25 per cent) believe business lunches give the opportunity to find out about new business opportunities, while one in five (22 per cent) admit that business lunches help them to retain clients.

Whilst it may be seen as a dying art, over a third of workers (34 per cent) admit they would be more inclined to renew a contract or use a supplier after being wined and dined. A further 18 per cent believe that suppliers who take them on business lunches care more about their business.

Nevertheless, a quarter of Brits (25 per cent) feel they go on fewer business lunches now compared to when they first started work and 38 per cent feel it is less acceptable to take time out of the office to attend lunches.

Businesswoman and The Apprentice finalist, Vana Koutsomitis explains: “Whenever I meet with a potential client or investor, I suggest that we meet over lunch at a restaurant. What many people don’t realise is that restaurants have a wealth of menus and specials during the day

which provide the perfect business lunch backdrop. Spending quality time with a client, whether prospective or long-term, is invaluable to build lasting relationships and I am a firm believer in taking the time to get to know someone out of the office environment. If you want to seal a deal, or make a business partnership, I believe it is best to do so over lunch.”

Financial pressures (41 per cent) and a lack of time (28 per cent) are both factors in the decline of business lunches, with 17 per cent of workers believing fallout from the “credit crunch” contributed to the death of the practice.

Workplace pressures also play a role, with a fifth of Brits (19 per cent) saying staff shortages mean they cannot take time out of the office to attend business lunches. Moreover, one in ten workers (13 per cent) have been told not to attend a lunch by their boss in recent years.

The majority (79 per cent) of those who have been working throughout the last few decades cite the 80s as the ‘heyday’ of the business lunch, with almost half of workers (44 per cent) having access to an expense account to pay for business lunches. This is in stark contrast to modern workers, who must stick to a budget when business lunching (45 per cent) or use more affordable chain restaurants as business lunch locations (36 per cent).

Commenting on the findings, Bookatable CEO Joe Steele, adds: “Compared to the seemingly decadent days of the 80s, the business lunch has been on the decline in recent years.

Our research shows that perceived expense and a lack of time are major contributing factors – but many restaurants now offer incredible lunchtime deals coupled with speedy service. Doing business over lunch is still a fundamental way to build vital working relationships and Bookatable will shine the light on modern business lunch options during National Business Lunch Week. We want to encourage British business to get out of the meeting room and into the dining room.”

Brexit and the Apprenticeship Levy

In the wake of last week’s shock Brexit verdict, businesses across the Hospitality Industry are experiencing many uncertainties. However, despite the multitude of unanswered questions, Jill Whittaker, Managing Director of HIT Training, advises businesses to carry on as normal with regards to plans for the Apprenticeship Levy.

“There is no denying that the decision to leave the EU is one which is going to have implications for businesses in the Hospitality Industry. In this period of unease, there is one thing which we do know – the Apprenticeship Levy is still planned to be introduced from April 2017, as confirmed by Skills Minister, Nick Boles, at the AELP Conference on 28th June.

“Although the planned Government announcement to release further details on the Levy has been pushed back from mid-June to mid-July, as a result of Brexit, what remains clear is that there will be new funding frameworks for

apprenticeships from April 2017 and businesses need to take steps now to prepare for this.

“One of the first things we advise Levy paying companies to do, is to take a look at their current staff training and development budget to ensure that most of the apprenticeship training budget can be reclaimed through the Levy. This will also highlight gaps in the training structure and identify areas which the legislation enables funding for. One of the biggest benefits of the Levy, is that the funding isn’t just limited to apprenticeships for new staff members, it can be used right across an organisation to up-skill the whole team – even through to senior management and supervisory positions.

“The Apprenticeship Levy will bring an extra £1 billion a year to pay for apprenticeships in England, increasing spend from £1.5 billion to £2.5 billion annually. If maximised by employers, the funding can be used to up-skill the whole Industry, ensuring businesses have highly trained workforces – something which will be essential when it comes to reacting to any associated implications of the referendum.”

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UK Pub Takings Ramp Up by 26% On Opening Weekend of Euro 2016 UK PUBS recorded an estimated 26% surge in revenues over the opening weekend of Euro 2016, compared to an average weekend in June, as all three of the qualifying Home Nations: England, Wales and Northern Ireland took the field. The estimated figures are based on sales data from an anonymised sample of 500 of our UK pub customers.

Wales, whose team had not appeared at a major football tournament since 1958, saw the biggest increases, with pub sales up a whopping 41% on the 2015 average for a Saturday in June. There was a ramp up in drink sales across the afternoon and then a big surge in after-match celebration drinking.

English pubs saw a smaller 23% surge in takings on Saturday compared to the overall average for Saturdays in June 2015 – perhaps at least in part due to the more disappointing result achieved by their team. Finally, in spite of the national side losing to Poland, pubs in Northern Ireland saw a significant 29% increase in sales versus the average June Sunday last year.

Jacyn Heavens, founder of Epos Now, said: “Given that average takings for a summer weekend are typically high anyway, these increases underline the huge level of interest in Euro 2016 across the UK and highlight the tremendous power of live football as a revenue driver for pubs.”

Looking ahead, We expects the momentum to continue this week, despite the fact that the next big match, England v Wales kicks off at 2pm this Thursday (16 June) rather than at the weekend. Our projected figures estimate that on the day of the match, the average UK pub can expect a 21% surge on its usual takings for a Thursday in June. They also estimate that if Wales win, Cardiff pubs would see a 32% surge on their evening sales while London pubs would only witness a 9% increase if there was an England victory.

Of course, it’s not just those people enjoying an evening out who will be drinking while watching the game, convenience stores are already stocking up on alcohol ahead of the tournament. Our figures released at the end of May indicated that to that point they had placed orders for 8% more bottled beer and 11% more canned beer than at the equivalent time last year.

Coach & Horses Earns 2016 Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence THE COACH & Horses in Thorpe Road, Norwich has earned a 2016 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence.

Now in its sixth year, the Certificate of Excellence scheme celebrates hospitality businesses that have earned great traveller reviews on TripAdvisor over the past year. Recipients include accommodations, eateries and attractions located all over the world that have continually delivered a quality customer experience.

The Coach & Horses, which has a 4.5 star rating on TripAdvisor, has been recognised for its authentic pub atmos-

phere, homemade food and great ales, which are brewed on the premises at its Chalk Hill Brewery.

“We’re delighted to have received this award,” said Bob Cameron of the Coach & Horses, “which recognises the hard work of the team here and in our Chalk Hill brewery next door.

When we started the Coach & Horses, we set out to make a proper pub that we’d want to visit and we’ve always strived to give our customers a real pub atmosphere, delicious food and great ales. We’re very honoured to have received such lovely customer reviews which have earnt us this certificate. We’ll display it with pride behind the bar.”

Bellavita Expo Returns to London BELLAVITA EXPO - the UK’s biggest Italian food and beverage trade show - is returning to London on the 17th to 19th July at Islington’s Business Design Centre.

Presenting the very best of Made-in-Italy, the 3 day long event will also host masterclasses from top industry figures including Theo Randall, Ollie Dabbous, Phil Howard and international restaurateur and MasterChef judge Joe Bastianich among others, 12 guided wine tasting, the crowning of the best UK sommelier and the prestigious Bellavita Awards.

Bellavita Expo is a stunning showcase of high-quality prod-

ucts from small, native Italian producers all across the country. Taste an abundance of delicious Italian delicacies such as rare Umbrian truffles, genuine Bresaola (air-dried, salted beef) from Valtellina, rich Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Apulia, quality wines like Prosecco and Aglianico and a smorgasbord of traditional coffee, cheese and pasta. No cuisine is more steeped in tradition than Italian, with artisan techniques that have been passed down through generations at its very core. An array of Big brands all part of the Italian tradition, such as Villa Sandi prosecco, Lavazza coffee, La Molisana pasta and Fernet Branca liqueur will all be present’.

Register to the event now. Free access with code FREEBELLAVITA on www.bellavita.com/expo-events/london

FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS VISIT THE CATERER, LICENSEE & HOTELIER WEBSITE AT

www.catererlicensee.com OR FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @CLHNEWS

Pubs Must Do More to Engage Wine Drinkers According to First Crown Cellars Wine Report CROWN CELLARS, the specialist wine and spirits division of Carlsberg UK, has launched its first Future of On-Trade Wine report.

Conducted with over 1,000 wine consumers and 500 ontrade outlets, country wide, the aim of the research is to uncover whether the on-trade is meeting customer expectations when it comes to wine, what is being done well and what areas can be improved upon.

Overwhelmingly the research has revealed that there are two very different groups of customers who have very different attitudes towards wine. These two groups are differentiated by generations: Millennials, or those born in the 80s – 00s and the rest.

Fundamentally they would both like more choice and help with navigating wine lists. Both groups would like to feel inspired and enthused to try new wines and underpinning all of this is a desire for quality, both in terms of the wine itself and the overall experience. How these needs are met, however, needs to be tailored in order to recruit millennials in to wine and engage and retain those over 30.

Millennials need to be inspired with a strong visual display in order to compete with other categories such as craft beers and ciders and would like to see simple, engaging

descriptors on the wine list. Currently they don’t feel that there is enough guidance around taste and are being discouraged from exploring the category and diversifying. In contrast, over 30s feel more confident in their wine choices but they appreciate wine and food matching recommendations and are more likely to trade-up if encouraged to do so.

Overall, the research highlights that the trade has a more positive view of its wine offer than customers do. The biggest disparities are around range (countries and grape varieties), staff advice, temperature of wine and presentation. In all of these areas, the trade scored themselves much higher than consumers did. Indeed, 61% of the trade think that wine quality has improved in recent years compared to only 35% of customers.

Paul Waller, Director of Third Party Brands says “Wine in the on-trade has developed and evolved significantly in the last decade, but it is clear that there is still some way to go to catch up with other drinks categories and with customer expectations. When you consider that 41% of wet-led pubs still don’t have a wine list, and 28% of pubs don’t think that wine training is important, there is still work to be done. We are looking forward to using this research along with our experience and knowledge of wine trends to better advise and educate the trade.

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Springboard Calls for Entries to The 2016 Awards for Excellence SPRINGBOARD’S ACCLAIMED Awards for Excellence now strides into its 14th year with the call for entries now open! The Awards are a hospitality sector highlight, celebrating and rewarding inspiring individuals, organisations and initiatives who have raised the profile of the sector.

Anne Pierce, Springboard’s CEO, said “The Springboard Awards for Excellence distinguish the best endeavours and contributions to the industry in the last year. Entering the awards allows businesses to recognise their achievements as organisations, as well as the outstanding work carried out by individuals. Winning an award has a significant and positive impact on both business and employees alike.”

Last year’s winners included AccorHotels, Lancaster London, Eden Project, Holiday Inn – Norwich, Diageo and Delaware North.

Sally Beck FIH, General Manager of Lancaster London, said “Winning the Springboard Award for Excellence for Best Housekeeping Development Strategy 2015 meant a huge amount to our team. Margo Van Der Werf our Director of Accommodation Services

has pioneered her housekeeping academy for the last 7 years and the award gave serious industrywide accreditation to the scheme and our team members that have flourished with in it. The Awards are an excellent way of showcasing the best of our industry and sharing best practise amongst our peers.

In our vibrant and competitive industry these sorts of accolades only bring good things.”

Sue Parfett, Managing Partner of Brookwood Partnership, said “We have always wanted our employees to feel valued and know about the opportunities available to them from day one. We were delighted to win the 2015 Springboard Best Employer award as it is testament to the emphasis we place on recruiting, developing and retaining good people. As a premier award within the hospitality industry it shows that we do exactly what we say on the tin to our employees and to job seekers.”

Closing date for entries is Friday 9th September 2016 with the winners announced at a spectacular awards evening on Thursday 24th November 2016 at Novotel London West.

To enter, visit: https://springboard.uk.net/events /fundraising/awards-for-excellence-2016

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July 2016

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Later School Half-Term Hits May Pub and Restaurant Sales KNORR Dispels Gluten-Free Myths During Coeliac UK Awareness Week ®

BRITAIN’S PUB and restaurant groups saw same-store sales slip in May, with collective likefor-like trading down 1.4% on the same month last year according to latest figures from the Coffer Peach Business Tracker.

“The later school half-term break, which this year fell in June against May last year, appears to have been a major factor – demonstrating how important the family market still is to the sector,” said Peter Martin, vice president of CGA Peach, the business insight consultancy that produces the Tracker, in partnership with Coffer Group, RSM and UBS. “Overall, casual dining chains suffered most, with collective like-for-likes down a hefty 5.6% on last May, while pub groups actually saw a 1.0% increase in same store sales for the month, driven mainly by drink-led outlets which were up 4.5%,” added Martin. “It was definitely a tale of two markets last month.”

London also had a better month than the rest of the country, with like-for-likes up 0.9%, and London pubs and bars up 3.8%, against a 2.2% drop in same-store sales outside the M25.

“The distortion caused by the school holiday shift will work its way out next month, and operators will be encouraged by early indications of bumper sales in the first week of June, which also enjoyed good weather,” said Martin.

“However, there will be caution too, as May’s performance follows a drop in sales in April and a generally flat start to the

year overall – and the underlying annual trend shows sector like-for-likes running at just 0.9% up for the 12 months to the end of May,” he added.

Total sales for the month among the 31 companies in the Tracker cohort were up 2.2% on 2015, reflecting the fact that groups are still opening new sites, if at a slower rate than previously.

Mark Sheehan, managing director at Coffer Corporate Leisure, added: “The pub and restaurant sector has been dealt an undeniable blow by declining consumer confidence over the course of this year. “Paul Newman, head of leisure and hospitality at RSM, said: “Making long-term predictions on the back of short-term statistics is always a dangerous game. However, a 1.4% LFL decline in sales represents the biggest one-month decrease in well over two years and is clearly a worrying sign for operators and investors in the sector. In an ever more crowded market place, our conversations with operators are now shifting in focus from estate growth and rollout to driving gross margins and controlling cost inflation with major concerns around rent reviews, the NLW and next year’s rating revaluation.”

Jarrod Castle, leisure analyst at UBS Investment Research, noted that the 12-month moving average like-for-like growth rate was falling, coming in at 0.8% in May, compared to 1.0% in April and 1.2% in March. “The moving average inside the M25 ended at 1.1% while outside it fell to 0.7%,” he added.

Hotel Owner Welcomes Back Protégés from The Last 45 Years VETERAN Bournemouth hotelier Jennie Deavin celebrated 45 years in hospitality by partying with some of her many ‘protégés’ In the last five decades Jennie, 67, has owned five Bournemouth hotels and employed hundreds of staff.

The Marsham Court, now run by her daughter Rosie Wallace, is one of the town’s last family run hotels and was this year named Large Hotel of the Year in the Bournemouth Tourism Awards.

Yet Jennie says her biggest accomplishment has been watching many of the ‘youngsters’ she employed as waitresses, doormen and bar staff go on to their own successful careers in hospitality.

She said: “I took over the Bonnington Hotel in Tregonwell Road from my parents in 1971 and have owned four other hotels since then, but the best thing about this job has always been the wonderful staff.

“Many have been young people who have come to us from school, on work experience or early on in their careers and they have gone on to blossom before my eyes.

“Some people get upset when their staff leave them but I don’t. I only get upset when I know they are not going on to something even better.

“I’m very proud to have helped them get onto the career ladder.”

Jennie celebrated her milestone with a party at the Marsham Court in Russell-Cotes Road.

But the celebrations were tinged by sadness, as the mum-ofthree has terminal cancer.

She said: “When my daughter Rosie asked me how I wanted to

celebrate 45 years in the business I said: “A party! with those I have worked with.”

“Obviously I wanted to do this before it was too late, so we got on the phones and posted details on social media and waited to see who would respond.

“We were amazed by how many people replied. Dozens – including one lady, Trixi Lynch who worked for us at the Bonnington, and flew in specially for the party from Dublin.

“It was very a emotional evening for me. But absolutely magical.”

Michael Begley was the Marsham Court’s first sales manager and has gone on to become MD of venuedirectory.com He also owns a 10-bedroom boutique hotel and restaurant in the Cotswolds.

He said: “Jennie is a tour de force and I owe a great deal of my success to her.

“She taught me to be firm but fair. To try not to say: “no”, but to say: “maybe” and to encourage the young as they are the leaders of tomorrow. She was also famous for telling me to: “Tuck your shirt in Begley!”

Rosie Burns, now 25, was given an apprenticeship at the Marsham Court in 2007 at the age of 16. She now works for a national events firm.

She said: “I worked in the hotel restaurant and Jennie and her family supported me through my college studies.

“After I left the hotel Jennie sent me a handwritten letter thanking me for everything and telling me to “spread my wings” and be the best I could be. It meant a lot and I still have the letter now.”

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ACTIVITIES LAID on by KNORR® during Coeliac UK Awareness Week highlighted common misunderstandings within the industry about gluten-free. The week’s events – which included an industry roundtable and masterclass with Phil Vickery – have revealed how simple setting up a kitchen for gluten-free can be.

Leon Mills, KNORR marketing manager, said: “The foodservice industry is losing out on over £100m of gluten-free business each year. This is a massive missed opportunity. A few areas of confusion around gluten-free have no doubt contributed to that. One common misconception is that if you use gluten-containing ingredients like flour in your kitchen, then you can’t produce gluten-free dishes.

“What this week has shown is that tapping into the rapidly growing glutenfree market is actually a lot easier than many believed. With some basic crosscontamination practices in place, opera-

tors can safely serve gluten-free dishes – even in a smaller kitchen. By following the steps in KNORR’s guide, any venue can find it simple to get their kitchen set up correctly and achieve Coeliac UK’s sales-boosting gluten-free accreditation.”

To demonstrate just how simple it could be, KNORR even opened a ‘pop-up’ gluten-free restaurant in Unilever’s newly gluten-free accredited kitchen on Wednesday 11 May. And on Thursday 12 May, hundreds of people watched KNORR’s gluten-free masterclass with Phil Vickery – which showcased some of his newest recipes in action.

Stephanie Hall, Chartwells head of nutrition, said of the masterclass: “Today was really useful. It’s good to know that gluten-free recipes can be made safely even in a smaller kitchen. There’s a common misunderstanding that you need a separate kitchen or a bigger area to prepare gluten-free dishes. Actually, as Phil explained, all you need is just a two metre space.”

To watch the recording of Phil Vickery’s gluten-free masterclass, visit http://knorrglutenfree.glocast.com.

Salmon Prices Rise by Up To 16%, As Fears Of A Shortage Hit The Hospitality Industry

CONTINUED LIMITED supply and increasing demand are driving further price increases of fresh salmon by as much as 16%, says Beacon, Britain’s leading purchasing company. The company, which works in partnership with seafood suppliers to purchase on behalf of more than 2,000 businesses across the UK, is warning that the salmon shortage could affect Christmas menus and supply for the rest of the year.

The demand for salmon is currently outstripping supply due to a number of factors including overharvesting of salmon in Norway and Scotland following an outbreak of sea lice, as well as unusually cold weather, resulting in reduced growth. This year, another factor affecting supply is the toxic algae bloom which has hit several areas of Chile, meaning that an estimated 123,000 tonnes of fish have been lost so far this year.

Since February 2016, Beacon has recorded price increases of up to 16% for Atlantic Salmon, and is now advising the hospitality industry to think longer term when planning menus using the popular fish. M&J

Seafood, a leading Beacon supplier, described the market as “volatile and not performing as you might expect”, with the length of time prices will be impacted for remaining “unclear”.

Emma Warrington, Senior Food Buyer at Beacon, commented: “The market is volatile at the moment with demand continuing to outstrip supply so our advice would be to start to look at alternative products for your Christmas menu planning, or factor in potential price increases for salmon products. Working with M&J Seafood and Direct Seafoods, our key suppliers, we are encouraging our chefs to think carefully about planning both their immediate menus and as well as festive season specials to be less reliant on salmon.”

Emma continued: “As well as planning their purchasing and menu creation carefully over the next six months, chefs should also be considering the alternatives to salmon. Sea trout is a great, lower cost alternative, also known as ocean trout or salmon trout, with a texture midway between salmon and farmed trout. Chefs might also consider dishes such as a trio of fish for Christmas menus, providing great plate coverage, interest and less reliance on purchasing large quantities of salmon.

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The Where and Why of Rising Contentment Among Hotel Guests Tripadvisor Study Reveals Rise In UK Hotel Standards

FOR A number of years, the contentment regarding Europe’s hotel industry has been on the rise. Better service is presumably not the only reason for this trend. A study of HOTEL INFO, the international booking portal, shows why the ratings are getting higher and where there is still room for improvement.

In most European cities, hotel guests were more satisfied than in the previous year. The top rating of 8.25 (highest possible rating: 10.00) was achieved by Slovakia. The only cities to suffer losses in their ratings were Serbia, which ranked 3rd (8.22 in the previous year, 8.20 this year), Finland on rank 9 (down from 8.00 to 7.97) and Greece, which dropped from 7.61 to 7.57.

The hotel industry in France, which is to host the UEFA European Championship, improved slightly, but still ranks close to the bottom of the European scale with an average rating of a mere 7.50. The soon-to-be kick-off will give the country plenty of opportunity to work on their reputation.

The UK keeps their rating of 7.39 (rank 24), which is the same as last year, but is a big step up from their result five years ago, which weighed in at 6.75 points.

“There has been a steady increase in contentment in several countries for a couple of years”, Jörg Malang, Managing Director of HOTEL INFO, is happy to report.

Hotel booking portals such as HRS, Tiscover and HOTEL INFO are likely to play a crucial role in this. They encourage better performance by allowing for higher transparency and easier comparability of room prices and services offered by the hotel industry. Furthermore, ratings by other hotel guests provide a comfortable assistance in deciding on the

right hotel. This will lead to requirements being met and disappointments being avoided.

A similar picture emerges in the comparison of UK’s larger cities. Most of the destinations did better compared to the previous year. Frontrunner Sheffield, however, could not keep up with its previous rating of 8.03 and dropped to 7.98.

Especially the hoteliers in Liverpool put their back into it.

The city by the sea made 2nd place with 7.96 points (previous year: 7.95).

The capital city managed to improve as well. London comes in last, however, and scored a mere 7.13, narrowly topped by Birmingham with 7.21 points. Hotel guests are hence slightly less enthusiastic about the second biggest city of the country (previous year: 7.22).

Contentment among the hotel guests: Results for the largest cities in the UK* Rating Rank City (highest possible: 10.00) Sheffield 7.98 1.

Liverpool 7.96 2.

Bristol 7.88 3.

Leeds 7.82 4.

Edinburgh 7.70 5.

6.

Glasgow 7.68 Manchester 7.53 7.

Leicester 7.43 8.

Birmingham 7.21 9.

London 7.13 10. *Hotel guests will rate their hotel on www.hotel.info after their departure, according to a point system of 0-10. The total rating includes room quality, friendliness of staff, cleanliness, noise, price-performance ratio, sport/wellness offers and breakfast/gastronomy. For the ranking, the results have been rounded to two decimal places.

Rashleigh Arms Win BII Licensee of The Year Award THE BII (British Institute of Innkeeping), the leading professional body for the UK’s licensees, is thrilled to announce the winner of the coveted Licensee of the Year Award for 2016 is Rob and Lucy Brewer from the Rashleigh Arms.

Beating a shortlist of six licensees, Rob and Lucy Brewer were commended by the esteemed judging panel for their enthusiasm as well as experience. Awarded at today’s annual BII summer event, the couple distinguished themselves from the competition thanks to their commitment to going above and beyond to differentiate their offering. The Rashleigh Arms is very much a destination pub in Cornwall with its strong food trade as well as its focus on real ales that make up 28.6 per cent of the drinks available.

The couple also showcased their industry knowledge on subjects such as the national living wage, training and organically growing

their hospitality team. Both Rob and Lucy also demonstrated enthusiasm for the BII and its Licensee of the Year Awards, envisaging how winning this year’s trophy, prize and the prestige associated with the title will help grow their business even further.

Rob Brewer said at the BII summer event, ‘We are so proud to be the winners of the Licensee of the Year Awards, especially as a Cornish pub. I think the number one economy in Cornwall is based around tourism, bringing people into the county to come and visit us. So anything that we can do that helps promote that I think is a massive plus.’

Lucy adds, ‘We also hope successes such as ours help get people into the industry. We’re up to a 50-strong team now so we hope this kind of recognition will encourage people to consider working in hospitality and staying as well. But primarily, we hope our award win and exposure from attending industry events to commentate on issues that matter to the South West, will help boost Cornwall’s tourism and economy.’

THE UK hotel and B&B industry is now one of the best-rated in the world having previously lagged behind other major international rivals, an in-depth analysis of a decade’s worth of TripAdvisor review ratings has revealed.

The study, conducted by TripAdvisor, analysed millions of traveller ratings given to hotel and B&B properties on TripAdvisor over the last ten years in 15 major tourism markets around the world.

The study found that in 2015 UK hotels and B&Bs enjoyed an average review rating of 4.16 out of 5, placing them second out of the 15 major tourism markets analysed and above the overall global average of 4.12. Only Italian accommodations scored higher in 2015 with an average of 4.20.

The UK hospitality industry’s strong performance last year was the culmination of a decade-long improvement in average review ratings given to UK properties on TripAdvisor, a trend that outpaced other rival tourism markets around the globe.

In 2005, the average review rating for UK hotels and B&B’s was just 3.57 – the lowest of the 15 markets analysed.

However, in the ten years that followed, the UK’s average rating rose above other competitor markets, including Spain, France, United States and Thailand.

The study also found that smaller, independent accommodations in the UK were providing the biggest boost to the UK’s overall average rating – with B&Bs scoring an average review rating of 4.48 (out of 5) compared to 4.04 for hotels in 2015.

Even within the hotel sector, smaller properties were shown to have a ratings advantage over larger properties, with UK hotels that accommodate less than 25 rooms scoring an average of 4.40 (out of 5) in 2015 compared to those with 26-100 rooms, where the average is 3.97.

“These figures are excellent news, and show that the UK has moved in 10 years from the lowest-rated country to the second highest, driven by the success of independent accommodation. The innovation and quality of small owner-managed properties have raised standards across Britain’s tourism accommodation sector over the decade,” commented David

Weston, Chief Executive of the Bed & Breakfast Association, “Guests clearly love the individuality, character, home-cooked breakfasts and personal service that they get in British B&Bs, which is why – in millions of reviews on TripAdvisor – they consistently score higher ratings than hotels.”

Ufi Ibrahim, CEO of the British Hospitality Association (BHA) welcomed the report, saying: “We are very proud to see the results of the TripAdvisor study and proud too of the standards of service our industry delivers so consistently. UK Hotels and B&Bs can take great satisfaction from seeing their efforts reflected in this report. Our members welcome visitors from both here in the UK and from across the world and all seek to offer great service and enjoyable guest experiences.”

The study’s findings were further supported by a recent statistical analysis of international and domestic travel, conducted

by Oxford Economics on behalf of TripAdvisor, which found that consumer reviews had spurred quality improvements within the accommodation sector and generated £2 billion3 in visitor spending in the UK in 2014 alone.

“We found evidence of a virtuous cycle by which increased travel leads to increased reviews shared on TripAdvisor. Those reviews then help other travellers planning trips and also provides businesses with valuable feedback to improve service and in turn attract more customers, which ultimately has the effect of raising standards across the UK hotel industry,” said Adam Sacks, President of Tourism Economics (Oxford Economics).

The Oxford Economics report – entitled The Global Economic Contribution of TripAdvisor ¬– also concluded that independent properties in the UK received a disproportionate benefit from the additional visitor spending generated by TripAdvisor, because TripAdvisor content gives travellers the confidence to choose a property based on reviews, ratings and photos from other travellers, rather than more traditional decision-making factors such as brand recognition or previous experience. This trend particularly benefits non-branded businesses, enabling small and independent businesses to compete on more of an equal footing with larger, more internationally recognizable brands.

Manitowoc Foodservice Wins Gold At Commercial Kitchen Show THE NEW Merrychef eikon® e2s has once again taken top spot after winning the Gold Innovation Award at the Commercial Kitchen Show’s Innovation Challenge on Wednesday 8th June 2016. The smallest, high-speed oven is the latest addition to Manitowoc Foodservice’s Merrychef brand portfolio and is the ultimate in accelerated cooking equipment.

The latest product innovation from Manitowoc Foodservice, the Merrychef eikon e2s is user friendly, versatile and provides consistent levels of performance aimed at continually exceeding operator expectations – the ideal solution for any operation wanting to prepare fresh, hot food on demand where space is at a premium. The eikon e2s is the ideal way to cook, reheat, toast and bake a wide range of food items such as toasted sandwiches, pizzas and wraps.

Steve Hemsil, National Sales Manager Distribution – UK & Ireland, at Manitowoc

Foodservice UK is delighted to have won the Award: “Manitowoc Foodservice is thrilled to have been awarded Gold in the Innovation Challenge and it is fantastic that the new Merrychef eikon e2s has been recognised by the industry with such an aptly named award! The Merrychef e2s is the most innovative product that we have launched to date with performance up to twenty times faster than a conventional oven whilst producing consistent, high-quality cooking results enabling establishments the ability to deliver fresher and more delicious hot food to customers.

It’s hugely important that Merrychef products are recognised for the cutting edge design that forms a key part of our research and development process. Most importantly however, is that the design of the products fits the requirements of the hundreds of establishments and thousands of kitchen and front of house staff using the equipment every day. This award truly is a testimonial of our ‘eye for detail’ and investment into innovation with the new Merrychef eikon e2s.”

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London’s Changing Eating-Out Map Hospitality Bosses Concerned by Instability THE DIVERSITY of London’s restaurants and bars makes it one of the world’s greatest cities for eating and drinking out – but it is the growth in food-led establishments, at the expense of drinking venues, that is changing the shape of the market and leading the expansion into new areas.

Latest figures from MarketGrowthMonitor, the quarterly measure of GB pub, bar and restaurant openings and closures produced by AlixPartners and CGA Peach, show just how unique a market, and different from the rest of Britain, London has become.

In its centre, 58% of licensed premises now are food-led – up from 53% in 2011. Many drink-focused pubs and bars still do excellent trade, not least in the City, with those specialising in cocktails or craft beer particularly strong. But by and large, drink-led sites that have closed in the last few years have tended to be replaced by food-led pubs or restaurants rather than new drinkers’ venues, the research shows.

This 58% proportion of food-led premises contrasts sharply with other big city centres beyond the M25, where only 45% of venues are food-led. Here, there are just as many venues (45%) that are drink-led, many of them circuit bars and locals. It is a reminder that people’s frequency of eating out is far higher in London than anywhere else in the

country – though as the shows, other big city centres are starting to catch up.

It is no surprise to find that London’s restaurants, bars and pubs are most heavily concentrated in the West End. The W1 postcode alone has 1,201 licensed premises, and WC2 another 505. The City is another hotbed, with 321 and 285 premises in E1 and EC1 respectively. EC postcodes account for four of the 13 highest concentrations of premises, and the Canary Wharf area of E14 is not far behind.

In these and nearly all other central London postcodes, the number of premises has increased substantially over the last five years. W1 has 70 more sites than it did in 2011, for instance, and SE1 has 59 more.

“Growth has been most spectacular in E1, a district that as well as City redoubts like Aldgate and Bishopsgate also includes Shoreditch, where so many hip new restaurant and bar concepts have emerged lately. Again, it is restaurant openings -from both casual dining chains and independents – that have fuelled the boom. That E1 postcode now has 31% more food-led premises than it did five years ago, and W2 has 10% more,” said CGA Peach director Jamie Campbell.

The list of new growth postcodes for restaurants and bars is centred around the north and east of the capital, where spots like Stoke Newington and Shoreditch have been setting the fashion for eating and drinking out., though the south west also has its star areas.

Chewton Glen Team Exceed Their Target

SWOPPING BUSINESS suits and chef ’s whites for lycra and cycling helmets, the Chewton Glen cycling team took part yesterday in the “ le Tour de Cuisine 2016” and raised £6,000 for Hospitality Action during the Cotswold Cycle Challenge.

In total over 160 cyclists registered for this sportive cycle challenge, sponsored by Zenith Hygiene Group, which started at the Beaufort Polo Club in Tetbury. Riders passed through some of the most spectacular Cotswold countryside before completing the cycle ride with a BBQ, prepared by chefs from Lucknam Park, and a well reserved rest.

Completing the 100 mile ride, Chewton Glens team featured Mark Bevan, General Manager; Edward Fitzpatrick, Operations Manager; Kerry Hudson, Spa Director; Andrew

Stembridge, Managing Director; and guest cycling appearance

by André Garrett, Executive Head Chef of sister property Cliveden House. The money raised will be used by Hospitality Action to support the hospitality industry’s employees, both past and present, suffering life altering illnesses, experiencing poverty, bereavement and domestic violence or feelings of isolation and loneliness.

Commenting on the cycle challenge, Andrew Stembridge said: “Although there were four routes to select, the short 20 mile for those who enjoy a leisurely cycle, the midroutes with 40 and 60 miles of countryside to enjoy, our team opted for the more challenging 100 mile option, and although we are all aching a little today we wanted to give the maximum we had, to raise a significant amount of money for Hospitality Action, which is a charity that we regularly support at both hotels,” he concluded.

New CEDA Awards to Recognise Technical Achievement FOLLOWING THE announcement to its members at the all regions meeting at the Commercial Kitchen Show CEDA is calling for entries for four new awards to highlight achievement, effort and innovation in the technical areas of business.

The four awards: The Groundbreaker Award, Industry Technical Rising Star Award, Apprentice of the Year Award and Supplier Award will be presented at the dinner following the Catering Equipment Technical Conference at the Nottingham Belfry Hotel on the 12th October 2016.

Highlighting the significance of the new news awards, CEDA’s lead on technical support, Peter Kay, comments, “Underlining the vital importance of our members’ and suppliers’ commitment to excellence in technical support and service, technical innovation and personal development relating to technical work is very important to CEDA. Our new technical awards will show all those involved in CEDA and the wider hospitality and foodservice sector that we, our members, and suppliers are committed to outstanding technical ser-

vice and support.

“We are looking for examples across several categories for individuals and projects that shine when it comes to technical capability and entry forms with nominations need to reach the CEDA office by Wednesday 27th July.”

Details of the awards: • Groundbreaker Award – This will be presented to a member company to recognize and reward the successful introduction of an innovative project that delivers additional technical customer service benefits • Industry Technical Rising Star Award – This will be presented to recognize and reward an individual’s outstanding achievement and contribution to the development of the Technical Service and Support provided by a CEDA member company • Apprentice of the Year Award – This will be presented to recognize and reward an individual’s outstanding progress during their apprenticeship • Supplier Award – This will be presented to a supplier to recognize and reward their technical support to CEDA members.

For entry forms and guidance please contact on: 01386 793911, email: info@ceda.co.uk www.ceda.co.uk

What Does Brexit Mean For Food Safety Legislation?

MOST OF the fundamental requirements of UK food safety laws stem from EU legislation, including the overarching legal requirement for food businesses to use a documented food safety management system based on the principals of HACCP for all their food safety management.

With the UK having voted to leave the EU there is much uncertainty as to what might lie ahead. Fiona Sinclair and Mike Williams from STS Solutions, leading providers of UK food safety support, took a look at the potential impact on food safety legislation here in the UK, in particular what is likely to become of the legislation which originated in the EU – will it be retained, amended or omitted?

The requirement to manage food safety using HACCP principles is unlikely to change. HACCP was introduced in the UK via Europe as a sound and systematic method by which to produce safe food, however this is not ‘merely’ a European approach to food safety – it is worldwide. The World Health Organisation (WHO) sets down international food standards, which serve in many countries worldwide as the basis for legislation. HACCP originated in the US and is now commonplace worldwide including, more recently, Australia. Its foundations are embedded in the WHO’s codex alimentarius and it’s unlikely they would change when Britain leaves the EU. The approach of hazard analysis has been a legal requirement in the UK since 1995. This approach to providing safe food is now commonplace within the food industry. It has been invested in and is generally well understood and effective for food businesses – caterers, food retailers, manufacturers and distributors alike. It is the accepted and expected approach for the safe manufacture of all food which is traded internationally, and as such, is unlikely to be repealed.

As and when the time comes for food safety legislation to

be reviewed, we believe the main elements will remain – regardless of their origins. They are not ‘nonsense regulations’ but provide a sound framework going forwards and would need little amendment if they were to be adopted as a UK model. Some of the more product specific regulations might require some amendment or consolidation where there is recognised ambiguity, or if the requirements are unnecessarily burdensome. It should also be remembered that food manufacturers and producers who export goods to the EU will need to ensure that their products, packaging and labelling complies with EU law, so change for change sake is not necessarily a good thing for business.

Rather than legislative changes, we think any changes to food safety which might come about as a result of Britain leaving the EU are likely to be observed in terms of easing the legislative burden, for example reducing the number of enforcement visits. If – as it has been speculated – the vote to leave has a detrimental impact on the UK economy and we see more cuts to public spending then the already underresourced local authority environmental health departments could well be hit by further cuts, leaving them struggling to achieve inspection targets.

It is likely that we would see an acceleration of schemes to reduce the financial burden on enforcement bodies, e.g. earned autonomy for multi site businesses which meet recognised standards of food safety, thereby requiring a reduced number of inspections by local authorities. Similarly we could see further development and encouragement of the Primary Authority scheme, through which advice is provided by enforcement bodies paid for by the food businesses.

In summary, our view is that any changes to food safety legislation that might come as a result of Britain leaving the EU are more likely to be fuelled by cuts leading to more self regulation rather than any dramatic changes to the inherent food legislation itself.

A REPORT published in The Times last month, ‘Leading through Complexity’ highlights the challenges faced by hospitality bosses in an increasingly complex economic, social and political environment.

The report from the British Hospitality Association (BHA) in partnership with global search firm Heidrick & Struggles, captures the views of 41 hospitality and tourism chiefs* at Britain’s leading hospitality companies, who together employ some 850,000 people with £30 billion in sales.

Key findings show: • Confidence in the economy has decreased – recovery seen as fragile.

• Industry feels politicians out of touch with one of UK’s most significant engines of growth.

Commenting on the findings, BHA CEO Ufi Ibrahim said: “This second Leaders Report from the BHA and Heidrick & Struggles, provides a critical snapshot of opinions on current key issues from senior figures in one of the UK’s most important sectors.

“BHA members represent the fourth biggest industry in the UK, employing more than 10% of the country’s workforce. Unlike most sectors, our growth is also directly reflected in employment growth – especially youth employment – and provides increasing opportunities for a broad range of careers.

“The business leaders interviewed in this report represent a very important voice. They feel that the economic recovery is fragile and consumer confidence easily knocked.

This, together with the uncertainty and lack of clarity in the referendum debate, is already having a detrimental effect on the industry.

“They also share a feeling of frustration that government is still out of touch and is failing the industry, due to an apparent lack of interest when it comes to policy development for tourism and hospitality.

“Given the size and importance of the hospitality and tourism industry, the significance of these views cannot be ignored,” Ufi Ibrahim added.

“Brexit is just one example of the many uncertainties facing business leaders at the moment,” said Ben Twynam, who leads Heidrick & Struggles’ Travel, Leisure and Hospitality Practice in the UK. “As the business leaders we spoke with note, it is vital that the hospitality industry is able to adapt quickly to changing circumstances. At the same time, it is increasingly difficult to foresee where these game-changers are going to come from. As such, widening the talent pool to attract leaders with the ability to create agile organisations and deal with unpredictability and change has never been more important.”

ECONOMY: Confidence in the economy has decreased – recovery seen as fragile.

The main economic challenge facing the UK remains consumer confidence. Industry leaders feel that consumer confidence is “terribly fragile”. Last year, the general election and volatility in financial markets created uncertainty. Now it is the EU referendum and recent terrorist attacks and threats that are causing the most concern. “The biggest confidenceknocker is terrorism right now,” one CEO said.

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT: Industry feels politicians out of touch with one of UK’s most significant engines of growth.

The majority of those interviewed felt that relations with government had not improved in the last 12 months, citing the recent changes in the rates of the National Minimum Wage as a prime example. This was done with little or no consultation with the hospitality industry. Although the Living Wage itself was not viewed negatively by the majority of participants, all commented that their businesses needed time to plan.

Brexit Boost For South West Hotels

SOUTH WEST hotels could see bookings rise this summer as the falling pound and economic uncertainty encourages more people to take holidays in the UK rather than jetting overseas, according to national commercial property consultancy Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH).

A weaker pound could also encourage more overseas visitors to flock to the UK’s leading holiday hot-spots, said Phillip Gibson, director of hospitality and leisure at LSH in Bristol.

“While much has been written on the possible effects of Brexit on the UK economy, the impact on the South West’s hotel sector remains unclear,” said Philip. “However, when we look at what we can expect from the coming months, in the short term at least, UK residents travelling overseas will be facing higher costs due to the weaker pound. As a result, many may contemplate a domestic break instead, which is likely to provide a boost for the region’s hotels.”

“With the South West attracting nearly one in five of all Britain’s bed nights, there is clearly a strong chance that the region will see a further rise in the already high numbers of people choosing to spend their leisure time in this part of the country,” he commented.

According to the UK Tourism Statistics 2016, published by The Tourism Alliance, the UK is the eighth largest tourism destination by numbers but the sixth largest by visitor expenditure – so, any fall in the price of sterling will improve the spending power of overseas visitors, making the UK a

more attractive choice, he added.

“If we look longer-term, there may also be another benefit. Under EU rules, the UK was obliged to levy VAT on tourist accommodation but at the standard rate of 20%, rather than the lower rates adopted by many European countries. Free of control from Brussels, the UK government could reduce the VAT rate or even abolish it altogether, putting UK tourism on a par with many European destinations.

“A week after the referendum, the Governor of the Bank England hinted that the cost of borrowing may be cut, possibly as early as July, to head off an economic downturn. Whilst talk of a downturn is unwelcome, borrowers will appreciate lower interest costs if reduced rates are passed on. Of course, the Governor doesn’t have much room to manoeuvre and any cuts are likely to be small.”

Philip pointed out that one potential negative could be labour supply: “The hospitality industry relies heavily on workers from outside this country and from the rest of the EU in particular. Hotels and other hospitality businesses have come to rely on EU workers to fill largely unskilled full and part-time posts, and the cutting off of this plentiful source of labour may result in increased costs for some operators.

“But, if we have learned anything from the last 10 years, it’s that the region’s hospitality businesses are highly resilient to economic ups and downs,” he added. “As the South West remains the most popular tourist destination for domestic visitors, I would say that it’s reasonable to assume that the long-term.

Frima Grabs Gold at the Commercial Kitchen Show FRIMA UK was awarded the Innovation Challenge Gold Award at the Commercial Kitchen Show for the latest addition to the VarioCooking Center range, the 112L.

“We are very pleased to have received the Innovation Challenge Gold Award,” says Graham Kille, managing director of Frima UK. “It is great recognition for all the hard work the Frima team have done, and reflects our marketleading position as specialists in multifunctional cooking.”

The 112L is a compact countertop unit designed to allow smaller kitchens to benefit from the advanced multifunctional abilities of the VarioCooking Center range. Despite its small footprint it includes the same advanced

technology as the rest of the range, which allows it to achieve energy savings of up to 40% compared to traditional appliances, as well as cooking up to four times faster. It has two pans, each with a capacity of 25 litres, providing flexibility of use while allowing larger quantities to be produced at peak times.

Graham adds, “The Commercial Kitchen Show gave us a great opportunity to spend quality time with visitors from all sides of the business, and we’ve created many new opportunities for the Frima UK team and our partners as a result.”

For information and brochures, or to come to a free Cooking Live demonstration, call Frima UK on 0845 680 3981, email info.uk@frima-online.com or visit www.frima-online.com

French’s Launch Trilogy of American-Inspired Relishes WITH THE key summer season on the horizon and interest in US cuisine showing no signs of abating within the pub, casual dining, restaurant and wider foodservice sector, leading world food and drink importer Empire Bespoke Foods has launched a tasty trio of American-inspired relishes from the condiment giant French’s.

The new arrivals include a Texas Jalapeno Tomato Relish, a Californian Sweet Onion Relish and a New York Deli Relish, which are all ultra-versatile and perfect for burgers, chops, sausages, steak, sandwiches, wraps, cheese and an array of BBQ fayre.

The new lines come in 320g (315g for the New York Deli Pickle Relish) easy-squeeze plastic bottles and are available through a range of cash and carry’s and regional wholesalers. The products come in cases of 6 with RRPs of £10.98 per case.

The New French’s Relish Range Texan Jalapeno Tomato relish - A recipe inspired by the cooking of the Lone

Star State – Texas, this relish provides the perfect blend of sweet and heat.

Californian Sweet Onion Relish – paying homage to the Golden state – California, this relish offers subtle crunch and a sublime sweetness.

New York Deli Pickle Relish – From the Empire State New York, this classic pickle showcases the mighty gherkin with plenty of crunch and tang.

Nick Thomas, Sales & Marketing Manager at Empire Bespoke Foods, said: “We’re thrilled to introduce this USinspired range of relishes by French’s into the foodservice sector in time for the summer months and core BBQ season. With the French’s brand already highly-acclaimed for its taste quality and with the Americana food and barbecuing trend continuing to see strong interest from bars, pubs and restaurants, we’re positive this tantalising trilogy will wow and excite the trade and consumers.”

For more information or to stock the French’s range of products, please contact Empire Bespoke Foods on 0208 537 4080 or email sales@empirebespokefoods.com.

What Does Brexit Mean for B&B and Small Hotel Owners?

Asks Thomas Messett from eviivo IN LAST month’s referendum the UK made the momentous decision to leave the European Union.

This decision was in line with our recent poll of over 1,000 independent UK properties who were 56/44 in favour of leaving.

However, Brexit has had immediate consequences for the economy and the government. David Cameron has resigned, Nicola Sturgeon is calling for another referendum in Scotland and the pound has slumped to 30 year lows against the dollar and the Euro as many economists predict a period of volatility and a possible recession.

But this all sounds a bit abstract! So we decided to try and outline some of the more practical implications of Brexit. Here are three considerations for you: It’s now more expensive for Brits to travel abroad: With the pound falling rapidly against all major currencies including the Dollar and Euro it’s now more expensive for British holiday makers to visit the continent. This means we may see a rise in Brits holidaying within the UK. There is also a strong risk of inflation in the UK making imported goods more expensive and squeezing people’s budgets, so your customers will be cost conscious.

What can you do about it: There are plenty of amazing holidays to be had in all parts of the UK but you need to tell your story well! So make sure that your website and your profile on other travel sites really put your key selling points forward, ideally with amazingly good photography. Also, consider offering special rates to family groups staying for a week or longer to encourage them to book with you, remember, they will be cost sensitive and this could secure

the booking!

It’s now cheaper for foreign tourists to visit the UK: The weak pound means Americans and Europeans will be able to come here cheaply and their money will go further, with our rich history and strong tourism industry we could see a boom in foreign tourism.

What can you do about it: This is where you really need travel agency websites like Expedia, Booking.com and LateRooms, they will market you across the globe and make sure you reach those international guests. And, make sure you have the ability to take payments from abroad (credit cards or PayPal) so you can accept and charge those international bookings easily. Consider giving these travel agency sites some special offers over the summer. If the pound is low or decreasing in value, it may cost you nothing.

About the EU regulation: There are two ways to leave the EU, Britain can do so quickly and unilaterally via an act of Parliament or negotiate its way out using “Article 50” of the Lisbon treaty. Most politicians and pundits believe we will take the latter route, as it is better for economic stability and a negotiated exit will be better for all parties. As such it will probably take Britain about two years to organise our exit from the EU and during that time, all current EU regulations remain in place, so there is no need to worry about changing working practices just yet. This is also true for anyone employing EU migrant workers: There will be few changes to the rules in the short term.

There are of course many uncertainties now, not least of which an obvious vacuum in the political landscape as we wait to see which leadership team will take UK out of the EU and, most critically, stabilise our market economy. But there are also some great opportunities for the UK’s fantastic B&B’s and Independent properties to take advantage of the current near term market. So good luck and please do get in touch to find out how we can help you tell your story online!

BII Event Raises Nearly £8,000 For Support Our Paras Charity THE BII, the leading professional body for the UK’s licensees, is delighted to announce that attendees at its 2016 Summer Event together raised a fantastic £7,881.33 for the Support Our Paras charity.

Each year, the BII nominates a charity to benefit from the event, which is attended by 800 of the industry’s leading figures. For 2016, the chosen charity was Support Our Paras, which helps The Parachute Regiment through the welfare of serving soldiers and families and those affected by recent operations, and through the maintenance of its regimental efficiency, ethos, spirit and heritage.

Support Our Paras provides welfare assistance to serving soldiers and families to complement or fill the gaps in State provision, as well as supporting vital aspects of the Regiment’s daily life and history. This charity was chosen because of its connection to Colonel Stuart Tootal DSO OBE, CO 3 PARA in Helmand 2006, an inspirational war veteran who spoke at the event.

BII CEO, Mike Clist, commented: “The Summer Event was a real success, and thoroughly enjoyed by all. Even the torrential downpour couldn’t dampen our spirits; in fact, the thunder and lightning rather added to the atmosphere of Stuart’s speech! We wish to thank our attendees for their generosity; it’s great to see so much money raised for such a well-deserving charity, with many promising to donate online too. Roll on 2017!”

Stephen Cooper, Director of Support Our Paras, added: “We are truly grateful for the tremendous sum raised by those at the BII’s Summer Event. This is testimony to the impact of Stuart’s speech and the generosity of attendees.

Thankfully, we no longer see fresh fatalities from combat operations in Afghanistan in the news, but the need to support our beneficiaries goes on after the headlines. We continue to assist those wounded or otherwise affected by Iraq and Afghanistan, and this makes our appreciation of your generosity and invaluable support ever greater.”

July 2016

Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier

Dogs In Restaurants – Are You Barking Mad? NEW RESEARCH reveals a doggy divide when it comes to allowing man’s best friend into our nation’s eateries A new poll released today reveals a mixed (doggy) bag when it comes to Britain’s view on allowing canines into cafes and restaurants. The Restaurant Club, a scheme supporting local restaurateurs over chains monopolising the high street, posed the question to its 11,000 strong fine dining group.

And while almost four in 10 (39%) people believe that dogs should be banned entirely from restaurants, a surprising 61% were a lot more flexible. This includes one in 10 (11%) saying they’d only be happy for them to enter cafes (although not restaurants), 8% saying only guide dogs should be permitted and one in 20 (5%) calling for a dog only area. In bad taste, however, a cheeky few canine-haters ‘joked’ that dogs should only be allowed in on the menu!

By popular demand the club has now added a dog-friendly section on its website that offers discerning diners discounts and advice on where to eat out across the capital, so that people have the option of not leaving their pooch at home.

Louisa Walters, founder of The Restaurant Club says: “I love the fact that I can take my shih tzu into my local newsagent, post office, chemist and hairdresser, so it follows that I would want to take her with me into local restaurants too. Every high street needs at least one dog friendly eatery and we’ve scoped out the best ones for our members.

“However, the Club is calling for a dog-friendly code of conduct, not just for restauranteurs in terms of hygiene when feeding dogs, but for pet owners too.

“For instance, dogs should only be taken out to eat if they are well trained and don’t disturb other clientele – unless of course the next table is happy to engage with your pet!

Be considerate, especially if you have a big dog and there are young children around.”

Whilst we pride ourselves as a nation of animal lovers, it seems there is a misconception in the UK that dogs are not allowed in any places where

CP Electronics

CP ELECTRONICS are recognised worldwide as leaders in energy saving lighting controls.

The company’s systems minimise energy use and cost without affecting user convenience.

Its UK base in London is home for the majority of its manufacturing and dedicated R&D. Products range from simple time-lag switches to sophisticated microwave presence detectors and fully addressable lighting

food is served for health, safety and disturbance reasons. This is not the case. The only legal obligation on the owner is to make sure there is no risk of contamination and that all food preparation areas are up to specified hygiene standards.

Morfudd Richards, owner at Greenbury Café in Primrose Hill says: “I spent a lot of time in Europe and dogs in restaurants simply aren’t an issue. I was brought up on a farm and animals were part of the family. We wouldn’t dream of leaving the dog at home or outside a restaurant when we went for a night out.

“When I opened Greenberry three and a half years ago I wanted to create a relaxed all day dining atmosphere for grown-ups whilst also being family friendly… and the family also includes dogs.

“Due to health and safety, I had to make a choice between dogs and having an open kitchen but welcoming well behaved dogs to Greenberry was one the best decisions I ever made.

Customers really value the attention you give to their dogs and for us looking after children and dogs is of primary importance and it creates real loyalty. We have many canine regulars and we usually know the name of both the owner and the dog. It was the right decision commercially especially in Primrose Hill where there are so many dog owners. There has been surprisingly little resistance – given the number of dogs we have virtually no complaints.

“Hygiene is incredibly important to us. The moment a staff member gives a dog a treat, he or she will immediately wash their hands. Dogs are kept on leads and there is a strong sense of owner responsibility over their dog’s behaviour.

Occasionally we have noisy dogs but we also have some noisy customers – that’s restaurants for you! But we do prefer both our human and canine customers to be well behaved!

“I would definitely encourage more restaurateurs to explore opening their business up to a wider customer base by welcoming dogs – it’s clear that people like having their dog by their side during meal times.” control systems. This constant drive to innovate is demonstrated by CP as it continues to develop exciting new products and technologies.

CP Electronics can work with any light source, in any building and any space, from a sports stadium to a CEO’s boardroom. The company develops energy saving solutions with both private and public sector organisations.

Its focused production team works to the highest quality standards, using advanced fabrication techniques.

Furthermore, its confidence of both quality and testing is reflected in a comprehensive 5-year warranty across the range. Products are also backed by dedicated sales, after sales and technical support teams: on site, on the phone and online.

Call +44 (0)333 900 0671 or visit www.cpelectronics.co.uk or see the advert on page 2.

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BFFF Annual Foodservice Awards 2016

July 2016

THE RESULTS for his year's British Frozen Food Federation Annual Foodservice Awards were recently annoinced at a Gala Dinner Dance on Thursday 9th June 2016.

The Award scheme is now in its twenty-ninth year and is the definitive awards for the frozen food industry.

The Foodservice Awards are judged by members of the Craft Guild of Chefs which sets it apart form all other competitions and is only open to their members.

Pacific West Foods Wins Catering Product of the Year

Pacific West Bagged Gold!!

Product of the Year 2016 and GOLD AWARD for Best New Starter/ Buffet / Appetiser for 2016!

COCONUT COATED Prawn Skewers, made by Pacific West Foods, were crowned Catering Product of the Year at the prestigious Frozen Food Awards 2016.

enjoyable. I loved the crisp coating.”

After receiving the trophy XX of Pacific West Foods, said: “Quote to be included”.

Commenting on the awards, Brian Young, BFFF chief executive said: “Our experts from the Craft Guild of Organised by the British Frozen Food Federation, Chefs simply loved this product. the glittering awards were the highlight of the trade “All of the finalists should be rightly proud of their association’s annual gala dinner dance at the London achievement. This year we have had a record number Hilton on Park Lane hotel. Sponsored by NewCold, of entries. The quality of products submitted for judgan integrated service provider for cold chain logistics, ing has been outstanding and once the awards are recognised as the again, demonstrates the on-going frozen industry’s top accolade. innovation and creativity of frozen The prawn dish beat six other food producers. gold award winners to claim the He added: “Caterers continue to overall top spot. Other Gold winrecognise that frozen food is nutriners included Bidvest Foodservice, tious and tasty as well as providing which claimed two golds in the Best value for money, minimal waste and Bakery and Best Desserts categories convenience.” and Newberry International BFFF is the leading trade associaProduce, Oliver James Foods, KK tion for the frozen food sector. Its Fine Foods and Bar Foods. mission is to promote and protect The Frozen Food Awards are well the interests of the frozen food respected throughout the catering industry. Members cover the whole industry as all of the entries are of the entire cold chain of supply. judged by representatives of the The association campaigns with its prestigious Craft Guild of Chefs. members to educate, promote and Commenting on the Product of inform consumers, retailers and the the Year one judge said: “The foodservice sector about the value Brian Young - Chief Executive & coconut flavour was intense and Peter Allan - BFFF President of frozen food.

PACIFIC WEST FOODS, a seafood supplier detailing a wide range of premium seafood products this year bagged not one but TWO awards at the BFFF Annual Awards!

Their Coconut Coated Prawn Skewers won high ratings from the panel of judges who are members of the Craft Guild of Chefs. All product entries were evaluated and marked for appearance, texture, taste, product innovation, packaging and preparation.

Pacific West Coconut Coated Prawn Skewers had the judges heaped praises and compliments on the delightful taste of prawn sweetness that blends beautifully with aromatic toasted coconut flavor - the light crunch of its coating which is a mix of freshly

milled panko crumb with finely grated coconut. The product was also commended on its versatility in preparation for many occasions. It’s perfect for starter, finger food, share plate or as accompaniment for a mouthwatering entrée surf and turf with a twist!

Given the innovation and recognition, it was an awesome night for Pacific West to win the Foodservice Product of the Year 2016 and GOLD AWARD for Best New Starter/ Buffet / Appetiser for 2016! Previous years, Pacific West’s Salt and Pepper Squid and Chilli Mango Prawns both won the Silver Awards in 2012 and 2013 respectively.

“To have achieved 2 Silver Awards plus this year’s Gold for Best New Starter Award and Foodservice Product of the Year – all in such a short time since we opened our offices in UK six years ago, I am so honored and very grateful to everyone involved. It is a fantastic achievement for our team here in UK as well our colleagues in Malaysia. This highlights our dedication and focus to champion product innovation”, says Eric Rose, Pacific West Managing Director.

For more information on Pacific West range of products in the UK, please visit the website at www.pacificwestfoods.co.uk or contact 013 7382 4242.

Pacific West is widely available in Europe, Australia, South Africa, Asia Pacific Region, Middle East and New Zealand.

KK Fine Foods Success At BFFF Awards Bidvest Foodservice Steals the Show with FOUR Wins at the BFFF Awards 2016

WHILE KK FINE FOODS has always focused on establishing what people will be eating in the future, this objective has become even more important as our customers continue to look for a point of difference in a highly innovative marketplace.

There has been a huge trend in the industry towards vegetarian and vegan products, a category that KK has spent decades specialising in. Consumers are increasingly demanding more high quality, flavourpacked vegetarian options – something that KK continuously strives to achieve. This continued commitment has led KK Fine Foods to once again develop two award winning vegetarian products, gain-

ing both Gold and Bronze awards in the Best New Meat Free/Vegetarian Product category.

With the rising prominence of Korean cuisine and fusion food becoming mainstream within in the UK, the team at KK felt that the time was right to offer a highly versatile product that captures these exciting new flavours and can be used in a number of different formats. The result was our flavour-packed Korean Shredded Chicken, which won the Bronze Award for Best New Multi-Portion Product.

The fantastic results at this year’s BFFF highlights KK Fine Foods’ ongoing commitment to creating innovative, highly quality products with award winning flavours.

Reader enquiries - Tel: 01244 286200.

BIDVEST FOODSERVICE is celebrating after a series of fantastic wins at this year’s BFFF Awards, where the team picked up FOUR awards across Best New Bakery Product, Best New Dessert and Best New Main Course, with products from their own brand Premium Selection range.

The British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF) Awards, now in its 29th year, included seven categories which were judged by members of the Craft Guild of Chefs.

Known as the ‘Oscars of the frozen food industry’, the BFFF Awards recognise quality and product development in the frozen food market from the last year.

Bidvest Foodservice was applauded for its Premium Selection range, winning Gold for its Premium Selection Tarte Aux Poires and Premium Selection Farmhouse Cheddar Savoury Muffin with Tomato and Spinach, Silver for its Premium Selection Farmhouse Cheddar and Onion Savoury Muffin and bronze for its Premium Selection British Turkey Paupiette with Pork, Sage, Onion and

Chestnut Stuffing.

Holly Marrero Easson, Own Brand Manager at Bidvest Foodservice said: “This is a fantastic achievement for us and we are very proud to receive such a highly recognised award for products under our Premium Selection brand.

“We have a high-quality and innovative range of products in our own brand portfolio, offering our customers choice, consistency and convenience where they need it.

“These award wins highlight the sheer determination and dedication of our product teams to have created innovative, quality products which are worthy of winning awards.

“Our own brand portfolio has over 1,000 products and this number continues to grow as all of our category managers, food technologists and development chefs work so hard to ensure we are endlessly innovating and keeping up with market trends. We regularly benchmark our products against the market to ensure we are always exceeding our customer expectations.

Bidvest Foodservice launched four new own brands in January this year; Premium Selection, Everyday Favourites, Essential Supplies, and Farmstead. The Premium Selection brand brings customers the finest quality food using the best ingredients and all of the products within this range are endorsed by the Craft Guild of Chefs for their quality, taste and ease of use.

The awards presentation and dinner dance took place at the London Hilton, Park Lane on the evening of Thursday, 9 June 2016. Bidvest Foodservice also sponsored the President’s Reception on the night, displaying an impressive ice sculpture.

For more information about Bidvest Foodservice, visit www.bidvest.co.uk, or call 0370 3663 100.

You’ll also find Bidvest Foodservice on Twitter @BidvestFoodUK

BFFF Annual Foodservice Awards 2016

July 2016

Double Silver Success at the British The Pastry Room Frozen Food Federation Awards THIS YEAR’S prestigious BFFF Gala Dinner saw Laila’s Fine Foods Ltd presented with 2 Silver Awards in both the Best New MultiPortion Product and the Best New Poultrybased Product categories.

SILVER: BEST NEW MULTI-PORTION PRODUCT The ASDA Multiportion Fish Pie by Laila’s Fine Foods underlines the commitment we have to the hands-on production approach, making it similar to how you would cook at home, enabling us to maintain a true homemade taste in all of our products. BFFF judging chefs certainly enjoyed this product as well with one commenting, “A good quality fish pie with big chunky pieces of fish (Salmon), lots of prawn, a very good sauce and topped off with quality mash and crumb. A very yummy product.”

SILVER: BEST NEW POULTRY-BASED PRODUCT The Iceland Italian Chicken & Mushroom Risotto is a traditionally cooked risotto using Italian Arborio rice with the creamy spinach, cheese and Italian white wine sauce topped with succulent seared chicken breast strips and oven roasted chestnut mushrooms, hand finished with shavings of cheese. This 450g product retails in Iceland stores across the country for just £2.59 and can be microwaved in only 9 minutes.

Managing Director, Nazir Remtulla comments “We had a fantastic evening and the awards demonstrate our commitment as a business to continually deliver quality, innovative and great tasting products to our valued customers”.

Reader enquiries - Tel: 01253 594342 or visit www.lailasfinefoods.co.uk

THE PASTRY Room have proved that you can make a gluten free pastry that is absolutely delicious. The innovative pie pastry product is a free flowing pastry crumb which requires just the addition of water.

Simply add water mix and roll to get to the perfect pastry that behaves, rolls and bakes just like wheat pastry - you will never notice the difference. With over half the population now interested in eating gluten free pastry you can appeal to all your customer needs with just one pastry. The product

Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier

23

comes in 2kg re-sealable bags, the perfect size for easy storage and use.

John Hendy Managing Director at The Pastry Room commented ‘ We have received an amazing response to our gluten free pie pastry which is now stocked in a large number of catering wholesalers. It is great for a gluten free product to win such an award in a wheat based category and especially one that is nominated by the Craft Guild of Chefs’.

For further information call The Pastry Room on 01652 688323 or visit www.thepastryroom.co.uk

Destiny Foods Tastes Sweet Success at BFFF Awards 2016

DESTINY FOODS’ Clementine Tart scooped silver in the Best New Ice Cream/Dessert/Confectionery Product category at this year’s BFFF Awards. Chosen for its “light and tangy filling” and “lovely citrus, refreshing flavour and appealing presentation,” the pre-cut tart was judged to be an innovative and wonderfully refreshing product.

Bryan Jackson, Director of Sales at Destiny Foods, commented: “We are delighted to have been selected to receive the silver award at this year’s event. Since its launch last year, the Clementine Tart has proven to be a real hit with our customers, and we are extremely pleased that the judging panel echoed our customers’ comments.”

The tart, which features a tangy clementine filling presented in a choco-

late pastry case, is delivered pre-cut into 14 generous singleserving portions. Further flavours in the range include Salted Caramel, Pear Frangipane, and White Chocolate & Passion Fruit. Smaller, single-serving versions are also available in a wide variety of exciting flavours.

Destiny Foods works with over 1,370 national clients across international hotel groups, national restaurant chains, stadia, breweries, travel and independent catering sectors.

Over the past two years, Destiny has invested over £2million in state-of-the-art equipment and recently opened a new 30,000ft2 cold store and office, expanding its core product range by 20%. Destiny Foods also holds a AA BRC accreditation issue 7 certificate for manufacturing.

To find out more about Destiny Foods, visit www.destinyfoods.com To speak to the customers services team, call 0844 856 0911.

Product Portfolio

CELIA Organic Craft Czech Lager The Verus Bank Note Fraud Detection System ™

CELIA Lager is traditionally batch brewed in the Czech Republic for over two months with the benefit of being naturally carbonated and gluten-free. Their award-winning Organic pilsner, available in bottles, cans and on tap, uses 100% local protected Saaz hops to give a floral aroma: earthy and spicy - perfect for food. CELIA Dark is a truly unique Czech lager, densely black with an almost ruby red hue and a distinctive

coffee like aroma with slightly nutty and rye bread undertones.

CELIA offer staff training, point of sale marketing support, a large social media following and promotional price support. Stocked in premium retail and restaurant groups such as Waitrose and Le Pain Quotidien through to high end restaurants and hotels such as The Wolseley and The Doyle Collection.

CELIA offers something for all your customers whether they are organic fans, craft beer lovers, vegans or seeking a gluten-free alternative.

For further information visit www.celialager.co.uk

Innovia Systems is a division of the Innovia Group, the manufacturers of the substrate for the new £5 and £10 polymer banknotes that will be issued later this year and in 2017. They are focused on offering the banking and retail industries a range of services, equipment and software that can authenticate banknotes.

As part of this they have just launched a new range of authentication and detection devices – Verus™. Each compact device uses unique patented technology to verify the very core of Guardian® polymer banknotes, the polymer itself. The base film has a unique fingerprint that Verus™ equipment is able to identify.

There are three Verus™ units avail-

able with retailers in mind for cashier point of sale, hotel receptions and restaurant and bar front of house staff.

• Verus™ H a small handheld unit • Verus™ D a compact desktop unit • Verus™ PP a sophisticated portable desktop unit for both polymer and paper banknotes Each uses a simple swipe technique to analyse the banknote in question. An audible alert, a positive or negative light or display provides immediate confirmation that the banknote is authentic or suspect.

Can any organisation accepting cash payments forego a secure method of checking that the cash is genuine?

Especially as the first new £5 polymer banknote will be issued later this year.

Reader Enquiries - Tel: 01697 341 784 or email: enquiry@innova-systems.com

The Hessian Coffee Company Seabrook Makes Everyone’s Flavourite THE HESSIAN Coffee Company is a family run supplier of freshly roasted coffees, award winning teas, associated products and quality commercial equipment.

Co-founders Neil Clark (UK Barista Championship Judge) and Niall McCrae (Serial Coffee Lover) (aka “The two Neil’s” as they have become affectionately known within the industry) know they have the right chemistry to inspire those looking for the very best in coffee and service.

Partnering with market leaders in commercial and domestic equipment

enables them to bring reliability and experience to any operation and service. Above all they have a passion for great service and strive to achieve this for each of their customers, whether you are a hotel, restaurant, bar or café, they offer transparency and honesty across the board.

For more information contact Hessian Coffee Co. on Tel: 01799 543809 Email: sales@hessiancoffee.com Website: www.hessiancoffee.com Catch up with daily industry/Hessian product news and views at www.twitter.com/hessian and www.facebook.com/hessiancoffee

Lincat Introduces Opus 800 Range Of Heavy Duty Catering Equipment LINCAT, THE UK's leading manufacturer of commercial catering equipment, is set to introduce its new Opus 800 range of heavy-duty prime cooking equipment. Available now to preorder from Lincat, production of the Opus 800 range of ovens, fryers, griddles, grills and bratt pans will be phased in during July. The with no fewer than 79 individual products, together with a full range of options and accessories, Opus 800 is Lincat's largest new product launch for almost 20 years.

Larger, heavier and more powerful than the Opus 700 range it will replace, Opus 800 is designed, engineered and manufactured by Lincat to deliver enhanced performance and energy efficiency. With a stylish, streamlined look, Opus 800 products can be configured in a greater number of ways to meet the needs of the busiest commercial kitchen. They offer increased capacity, are safe and easy to use, quick to clean and straightforward to service.

"Opus 700 has been hugely suc-

cessful for Lincat. Specified by major chains including Greene King, Marstons, JD Wetherspoons and Sainsbury's, Opus 700 has, since its launch in 1999, sold over 31,000 units and generated over £51M for Lincat," said Helen Applewhite, Marketing Manager of Lincat.

"So we set ourselves quite a challenge when we decided to review and improve the range. We began by listening to feedback from our distributors and customers, which provided a very clear set of design priorities for our in-house research and development team. The resulting range offers clear power and performance advantages over competitor products and received a tremendous reception, as a result, at the Commercial Kitchen Show."

Each piece of equipment in the new Opus 800 range is covered by a comprehensive two-year onsite parts and labour warranty. Lincat Ltd manufactures one of the world's most comprehensive ranges of catering equipment. Products are sold in the UK and in over 50 countries worldwide through a comprehensive network of distributors. Lincat Ltd is a member company of the Middleby Corporation.

For further information on the Lincat range, visit www.lincat.co.uk

VEGETARIAN AND gluten free is just two of the major credentials that ensures Seabrook Crisps ticks all the boxes for independent hoteliers and caterers who need to stock products with the widest appeal.

Today, more and more consumers are looking for products that meet their health and dietary needs and this is no exception when it comes to snacks.

Not only is the entire Seabrook Crisps range both gluten free and vegetarian, it also offers the nation’s favourite flavours and is available nationwide, making it a consumer friendly and credible brand to stock.

As Britain’s original crinkle cut crisp when it was introduced as far back as 1945, Seabrook has stood the test of time and is loved by millions across the UK. This is because, over the years, the brand has earned a reputation for producing crisps that are full of flavour, with the perfect crunch that crisp fans love.

The Seabrook range includes Sea Salt, Sea Salt n Vinegar and Cheese n Onion, as well as options that have helped it stand out from the crowd, including Canadian Ham, Cream Cheese n Chive and Beefy.

To order the Seabrook Crisps crinkle cut range call 01274 546405 or e-mail salesadmin@seabrookcrisps.com

Fentimans Launch New Flavour ‘Sparking Lime and Jasmine’ Fentimans, the botanical drinks business and maker of premium adult soft beverages, has plans to launch a new flavour to add to their range of natural botanical drinks. The new ‘Sparkling Lime and Jasmine’ drink will be available from 1st March.

‘Sparkling Lime and Jasmine’ is a sophisticated, complex and refreshing drink that is aimed at a growing group of consumers seeking an alternative to alcohol. In line with the Fentimans range of natural botanical drinks, Sparkling Lime and Jasmine is made using the time-honoured botanical brewing technique to deliver superior taste, complex flavour and a liquid that delivers the cues of a sparkling wine.

With recent changes to government guidelines in relation to weekly alcohol consumption, plus 1 in 5 Brits now abstaining from alcohol altogether, Fentimans have created a new flavour which not only tastes delicious but provides a credible alternative to alcohol.

Andrew Jackson, Fentimans Head of Marketing said:

“Premium drinks that act as an alternative to alcohol represent a significant growth opportunity within the adult soft drinks category. This is driven by more and more people choosing to limit their weekly alcohol consumption or taking alcohol sabbaticals”.

In addition, Jackson states that “the latest government research shows that a fifth of adults now opt to abstain from alcohol altogether and this is another factor driving the growth of premium alcohol replacement drinks. We believe that the launch of ‘Sparkling Lime and Jasmine’ drink will benefit from consumers moderating the amount of alcohol they consume, which is a growing trend as people strive for a healthier lifestyle”.

Eldon Robson, Managing Director of Fentimans said: “The combination of the authenticity of the Fentimans brand combined with ‘Sparkling Lime and Jasmine’ being a credible alternative to alcohol, provides strong reassurance that this new innovation will be yet another success for Fentimans”.

For further information on the Fentiman's range, visit the website at www.fentimans.com

Product Portfolio The Coravin Wine System THE CORAVIN Wine System is the one and only tool in the world that will help you sell more and better wines by the glass without ever opening the bottle.

Wineries & Wine Stores can offer customers a taste of fine wines before they buy and use the Coravin System as an educational tool for in-store trainings and classes.

Introducing now Coravin Model Two Elite in bright and bold colours of Red, Gold and Silver, to make your every pour a statement in style.

For further details visit www.coravin.com or see the advert on page 11.

Restaurants & Wine Bars can use the Coravin System to expand their wine programs by offering better wines by the glass, without the risk of oxidation if a bottle is not sold that night.

The Pacojet from Cheftools THE PACOJET is a dynamic professional kitchen appliance that makes it easy to prepare highquality dishes saving time, labour and reducing food waste. The Pacojet’s range of dishes encompasses both sweet and savoury recipes.

Create signature ice creams and sorbets (e.g. basil ice cream, blackberry ice cream, mango and pineapple sorbets, etc.) or the “classic” Snickers ice cream. Also dairy-free and gluten-free desserts. Importantly, you

only process (i.e. “Pacotize”) the portions you require. This reduces wastage dramatically and helps the bottom line!

For the pub and licensed trade markets, the Pacojet can make chilli and curry pastes, soup concentrates, pestos, herb butters and meat parfaits. With the extra Coupe Set, the Pacojet can function as a cutter, mincer, mixer, blender or whipper.

The new “Pacojet 2” has an LCD display, a compact footprint and is Swiss-engineered.

Chefs value what the Pacojet can bring to their kitchen in terms of flexibility and creativity. The Pacojet is used in venues from gastro pubs and bistros, to hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants. ChefTools UK, is the exclusive Pacojet importer.

Follow us on Twitter @PacojetUK, call 01702 258 639 or visit www.pacojet.co.uk or www.cheftools.co.uk

Joe Delucci’s Italian Gelato and Sorbetto THE DISCERNING choice for many a top chef, Joe Delucci’s supplies fresh, authentic Italian gelato and sorbetto in over 30 tantalising flavours to hundreds of well-known restaurants, hotels and gastropubs nationwide, as well as operating its own chain of gelato parlours.

Here, CEO of Joe Delucci’s, Richard Pierce, comments on what catering establishments should be offering when it comes to desserts: “Between four to five different desserts and ice creams tend to be the magic number for a menu (depending on the size of your pub, restaurant or café), demonstrating that you have enough carefully thought through choices. Keeping the classic flavours (chocolate, strawberry, vanilla) on the menu is essential, but offering something different – such as cherries and custard or quirky melon and chilli gelato – will also appeal to diners and

help differentiate you from your competitors.

“However, equally as important, in this day and age when consumers are more conscious than ever about the ingredients in their food, is the ability to tailor your menus to suit particular dietary requirements. Gluten free and dairy free options that don’t compromise on flavour or consistency are increasingly expected from consumers. And flavours such as dark chocolate are available in dairy free varieties, so it’s worth adding these to your menu as either permanent or interchangeable options.”

Joe Delucci’s gelato uses more natural, lower fat ingredients and contains a higher concentration of fruit, unlike more traditional ice cream. Additionally, most of Joe Delucci’s gelato flavours are gluten free, with dairy free options also available.

For more information on Joe Delucci’s visit www.joedeluccis.com.

Stay up to date with Joe Delucci’s on Twitter: @joedeluccis or by liking Joe Delucci’s Ltd on Facebook.

Radnor Hills Does Juice…

FRUELLA - THE TASTE OF SUNSHINE…

Radnor Hills Mineral Water Company is renowned for creating delicious soft drinks and now they are launching for 2016 a brand new ambient still fruit juice range – FRUELLA. The drinks range is gloriously colourful and reflects so well the Radnor Hill’s ‘We Love Great Flavours’ ethos! The 100% Apple and 100% Orange pure juice variants boast no preservatives, no additives, no added sugar, no colourings - just pure juice and one of your recommended 5 a day portions. Also in the range are some inspired thirst quenching dual flavour blends including Cranberry and Raspberry, Orange and Carrot, Apple and Blueberry and Tropical which contain a blended mixture of the finest pineapple,

Filton Brewery Products

Filton Brewery Products work closely with the brewery industry to develop and improve products which enhance the quality of the real ale you sell and your clients drink.

We all want simplicity, great presentation and fantastic product delivery.

Our products reduce management, strengthen point of sale and deliver your ale at the correct temperature with sparkling clarity. Filton cask racking, cooling and display equipment is a staple

passion fruit, mango fruit and banana!

William Watkins founder of Radnor Hills commented ‘We are really excited about the launch of our new Fruella Range, it’s been a long time coming but we wanted to use our years of expertise in the soft drinks industry to blend these drinks perfectly for you to enjoy! We can’t wait to see what you think!

The new Fruella range is full of juicy goodness and is a great way to feel refreshed. Each flavour has been carefully crafted to create a delightful taste experience and comes in a 400ml PET bottle and has a 6 month ambient shelf life.

But the test is in the taste, so why not try some today!

For further information email sales@radnorhills.co.uk or visit www.radnorhills.co.uk within the sector, consistently providing exceptional quality materials and finish, built to endure the harshest of cellar environments whilst alleviating some of the traditional, more labour intensive, cask maintenance. Our extended range has been selected to perfectly complement our own manufactured products for every area of your licensed premises.

Whether you are looking for the most modular stillaging on the market including Autotilts (with a lifetime mechanical guarantee!) and Racking, Beer Festival Hire Equipment or just some bar and cellar sundries visit our website at www.filton.net, call 01323 847386 or email sales@filton.net, or contact us for your FREE copy of the new Filton catalogue.

Eureka - It’s A Sicilian Meatball!

ARCHIMEDES HAD his eureka moment displacing water in a bath tub on the island of Sicily. The result was a principle which led to the creation of a fundamental law of physics. Snowbird foods had its special moment in a factory in North London.

The result was the definitive Sicilian Meatball. It is redolent of the beautiful Mediterranean island thanks to its appetising taste, attractive aroma and eye-catching appearance.

It took Snowbird no less than thirteen ingredients to flavour the juicy chicken thigh meat

(80 per cent of the product) and create a culinary vision of the historic island. These included onion, parmesan cheese, rusk, top class olive oil, sultanas, pine nuts, parsley, capers, garlic, fennel, black pepper and chilli flakes.

As with all other Snowbird products, these can be microwaved from frozen or batch oven baked to a core temperature of 72 degrees C. “It’s a good day in the factory when production of this meatball is scheduled because it puts the team in a happy holiday mood,” said commercial and marketing director, Roy Anderson.

“I believe it will have the same effect on customers too,” he added.

Reader enquiries - Tel: 020 8804 9303 or visit www.snowbirdfoods.co.uk

Lincat Introduces Next Generation Of FilterFlow Automatic Water Boilers Speciality Breads’ Ciabattas and Focaccias Go 100% British as Lincat, the UK's leading manufacturer of commercial catering equipment, is set to launch its new six-strong range of FilterFlow automatic water boilers with on-board filtration. The new space-saving boilers, which feature intuitive colour touchscreen displays, longer life filters, improved diagnostics and innovative energy saving features, are available to order now and will go into full production from 1 July 2016.

The new water boilers are operated from a large touchscreen display. Menu navigation is quick and easy, with both the temperature and timer simple to adjust. The display provides updates on the boiler's operating status and, if required, step-by-step maintenance instructions. The screen can also be used, on the push button dispense model, to enter a PIN code - a valuable additional safety feature for cost sector settings.

Providing even greater energy efficiency has been a key focus for the new range. A new predictive eco setting, which learns from usage pat-

terns and switches to low-energy mode for quieter periods, is capable of reducing the volume of water boiled by up to 50%. At the same time, all models incorporate a screw cap indicator probe to monitor lime scale build-up, and an effective descale function to help to avoid engineer call outs.

Helen Applewhite, Marketing Manager of Lincat Ltd, said…

"Capable of producing the highest quality filtered water around the clock, our new FilterFlow water boilers are easier to use, cheaper to run and simpler to maintain. Their narrower footprint saves valuable counter space without compromising capacity or performance. Better still, features which are typically associated with premium competitor models, such as a 7-day timer and energy saving eco-mode settings, are supplied as standard with our new generation of FilterFlow water boilers."

Products in the new collection range from the 3kW EB3FX which is capable of producing 31 litres of high quality hot water per hour, to the 6kW EB6, twin tap model which can produce 60. Lincat Ltd manufactures one of the world's most comprehensive ranges of catering equipment.

For further information contact www.lincat.co.uk

Gluten Free Goa Premium Beer Brought to the UK by Viiking Ventures Viiking Ventures is now importing Goa Premium Beer in to the UK. Goa Premium Beer, with a 4.8ABV available in 340ml and 650ml bottles and 500ml cans, is distributed by Viking Ventures UK. Using a unique malt and maize based recipe, the beer is gluten free.

Marketing will be under the ‘Come Alive’ theme embracing the hedonism of the beach party offered

by Goa Premium Beer. The packaging is inspired by the Portuguese ‘azeljos’ art form of Arabic origin that is now widely seen in Goan churches and homes.

Located in south west Indian on the Arabian Sea coast. Goa is famous for its beaches and attracts tourists from across the globe, with many discovering excellent Goa Beers, which have not been read available in the UK until now.

“The healthy living agenda has been usurped by po face kill joys with their arbitrary ‘5-a-day’ quotas and misinformation about fats and caffeine,” said Viiking Ventures director Frank Sequeira, adding, “Here’s a gluten free product which is fun.”

Previously, Sequeira spent 15 years as head of restaurant sales at Kingfisher Beer Europe.

The humid, tropical Goan weather works its alchemy on the water, to give Goa Premium Beer its crisp, refreshing flavour.

Commenting on its taste, Peter Grove, founder of National Curry Week said, "Goa Premium Beer at last offers curry fans a drink to go with their spicy offering that actually is imported from India unlike the other main brands. The malt taste comes through clearly when enjoyed alongside a spicy curry and as a stand alone drink.”

During a recent Asian Catering Federation road show, which addressed the hygiene and nutrition issues, leading nutritionist Ruth Tongue, Msc, told delegates that 22% of the public claim to have a food allergy or intolerance and that gluten free diets are becoming mainstream, with 15% of the population already avoiding food with gluten.

“Although interest from Indian restaurateurs has been considerable, we are looking to establish Goa Premium Beer as a ‘world’ product and introduce it to a diverse variety of leading restaurants and top destination pubs, bars and hotels,” said Sequeira.

Reader enquiries - Tel: 0203 752 6737, email: info@viikingventures.co.uk or visit www.goabeer.com

New Malted Ciapanini Launches with Kentish Rapeseed Oil

RED TRACTOR-CERTIFIED Speciality Breads has added to its award-winning ciabatta range with the launch of a new Malted Ciapanini roll made with Kent’s finest cold-pressed rapeseed oil.

The roll out of this new line signifies a big change for Speciality Breads as it replaces olive oil with Kentish Oils’ coldpressed rapeseed oil across its whole ciabatta and focaccia ranges from June.

Speciality Breads’ Managing Director Peter Millen explains: “Our Red Tractor credentials have helped set us apart within the market and generate a reputation for providing the finest British-made breads to the foodservice sector. With our home county of Kent

producing some of the best cold pressed rapeseed oil available, we believe the change improves flavour, supports local producers and gets us closer to our aim of offering products that are quite literally British born and bred. With various threats surrounding the olive oil industry exacerbating in recent months, whether that’s from counterfeit oil, product consistency or supply problems, we’re delighted to be making this positive change.”

Grown in Thanet and pressed in Birchington, just four miles from Speciality Breads’ HQ in Margate, Kentish Oils’ cold pressed rapeseed oil is Red Tractor-certified and has impressive health benefits, a delicate flavour and has become popular amongst many of the nation’s leading celebrity chefs.

For further information contact 01843 209442 or visit www.specialitybreads.co.uk.

Pickering’s Launches a WorldFirst Oak-Aged Collection CRAFT GIN distiller Pickering's has launched a unique collection of oak aged gins today (Thursday 19 May, 2016), matured in single malt whisky casks, hand-picked from distilleries in five of Scotland's distinct whisky regions.

Based at Summerhall Distillery in Edinburgh, Pickering's Gin has created a special marriage between two of Scotland’s best loved spirits, by ageing its award-winning gin in five Scotch malt whisky casks from Islay, Speyside, the Lowlands, Islands and the Highlands.

This is the first time a gin distillery has launched a collection of five oak aged gins.

The gin is aged in one cask from each of the five regions at a time. Each cask yields just 200 bottles of never-to-be-repeated 47% ABV oak aged gin.

After travelling across Scotland to select the casks, founders Marcus Pickering and Matt Gammell brought the barrels back to Summerhall Distillery in Edinburgh to be filled with batches of cask strength Pickering's Gin. The oak ageing process lasted between three and six months for each expression.

Marcus Pickering, co-founder said: “Scouring the length and breadth of Scotland to find the perfect whisky casks was a tough gig, but someone had to do it. We eventually identified five of the best casks to create our oak aged expressions, helping us to craft five gins which are undoubtedly different.”

Each rare, collectable gin can be drunk like a whisky using water or ice, or savoured in cocktails to bring out the gin's subtle whisky notes left behind by the five distinctive casks. The flavour profile ranges from the light and citric aromas of Speyside to the sweeter, peatier notes of the Islay region.

Pickering’s co-founder Matt Gammell added: “As distillers we wanted to take people on a journey exploring both gin and whisky, and to truly test the versatility of Pickering’s Gin. “With gin, there’s endless pleasure to be had experimenting with new flavours, serves and cocktails. Our latest offering of oak aged gin is truly a different way to experience gin, and to explore the world of Scotch whisky for spirit lovers the world over.”

Whisky writer Charlie MacLean said: “All five expressions retain the fragrance, taste and product identity of gin but finish on the palate like a whisky thanks to the subtle extra dimension left behind by the cask ageing.”

Pickering’s Gin is based on an original Bombay recipe dating from 1947. The marvellously mixed gin is spectacularly smooth, refreshing and flavoursome and is handcrafted at Summerhall Distillery – the first exclusive gin distillery to be established in Edinburgh for over 150 years.

It has already collected the awards to prove it including picking up Gold at the World Spirits Awards in 2015.

For further information on Pickering's contact 0131 290 2901 or visit www.pickeringsgin.com

Hospitality Technology

July 2016

Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier

Harnessing the Power of the Internet to Boost Your Hotel’s Revenue

By Aditya Sanghi, Co-Founder and CEO of Hotelogix.com CONSIDER THIS – 90% of travellers research their travel plans on the internet while 80% of all bookings today are made online. There’s no doubt that the internet has become the undisputed kingpin of all booking platforms. While offline reservations have not disappeared altogether, your hotel must prioritize its online presence in order to ensure a stable, long-term revenue stream.

There are multiple ways you can go about doing this.

Online travel agencies (OTAs) OTAs are booking platforms that gather stacks of inventory from various hotels and organize them on a single site on which guests can compare multiple accommodation providers and make a reservation.

List your hotel’s inventory on multiple OTAs, avoid depending too heavily on any single portal. Modern cloud tools like channel managers make the process simple, allowing your hotel to integrate to many of these online channels in real-time, enabling rates and inventory to be updated across all portals instantaneously.

Direct booking website Having an independent website for your hotel is fundamental to establishing an online presence. Not only does a website create a whole new revenue stream for your property, it also

The LRS Invisible Queue Solution

WE CREATED THE INVISIBLE QUEUE SOLUTION BACK IN 1993 LRS identified that queues in restaurants cost money through walkaways. Without proper customer flow control then customers often walk away when they see the queue. We invented the customer coaster call paging system solution to make queues invisible so customers no longer walked away. While customers wait they can now visit the bar or use other amenities within the restaurant or bar so upselling is easy with the resultant increase in profit.

Here's how it works - when a customer arrives they are handed a CS6 customer pager; once the pager is messaged the unit will flash or vibrate to alert the customer that their table is

C.C.R Systems Ltd

CCR Systems have been supplying, installing and maintaining Retail and Hospitality EPOS systems for over 34 years.

We are an ISO-9001 registered company with a diamond award for customer satisfaction. Our Powersuite software package that includes Total Control Premier/Stock, Instant Loyalty and Drilldown is the ideal package for all types of

provides guests with a portal to which they can return in the future. This drives loyalty – repeat bookings are an important component of a successful business because it’s usually cheaper to retain an existing customer than to acquire a new one. But perhaps the biggest advantage of having an independent website is the increased bottom-line. Since direct bookings are commission-free, they can significantly improve profitability.

Invest in setting up a website for your hotel if you don’t have one. If you do have a functional site, ensure that it’s well optimised for all devices as mobile bookings are growing exponentially every year.

Social Media There are over 2 billion active social media users around the world today, and that number is only expected to go up as computer literacy continues to scale unprecedented heights every year. Simply having a presence on these sites isn’t enough.

Assign someone to regularly post on all social channels to drive audience engagement. Activities like photo sharing contests don’t just get guests interacting on your profile, they also display your brand to all the people your followers are connected to. That’s powerful marketing, and it’s free!

Hotelogix is a cloud-based, end-to-end, hospitality technology solution, built to seamlessly manage hotels, resorts, serviced apartments or multi-location hotel chains, by providing a single window to manage all hotel operations and bookings (online and offline). Hotelogix is currently used by properties in 100+ countries. now ready so they can return immediately.

FASTEST TABLE TURNS Increased profitability is the result of faster table turns in the restaurant business. Customer pagers are the perfect way to allow staff to sell more while customers wait for their table but ultimately the more table turns equals higher profitability. The ROI for these customer paging systems is literally a few weeks and from there on the business will continue to benefit from those gains long term.

LRS new CS6 series of customer paging systems are available at just £399.00 for a complete 10 pager system which offers an incredible price point for the most advanced solution available anywhere in the world today. With three years warranty the CS6 solution is set to take your restaurant, pub or bar to the next level.

For further information contact Long Range Systems UK Ltd on 01782 537000 or visit www.lrspagers.co.uk Hospitality & Retail outlets.

Our hardware is a choice of top of the range touch screen terminals from selected quality manufacturers. The ORDERMAN Restaurant table ordering system is without doubt the best of it's kind, utilising the latest Oderman 7 hand held terminal and Kitchen Monitors or printers. Have a look at our web site on 'ccrsystems.co.uk' and view the ORDERMAN video.

We also cater for the client that needs a low cost system that easily compares with the box shifters. Please contact GEORGE GUNNERY on 0151-644 8296 for a quotation for your establishment, or email to: epos@ccrsystems.co.uk

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Hospitality Technology

July 2016

Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier

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Benefitting from International Travellers How Roommaster Updated Online Booking For From Nigel Hyslop, President and Managing Director UK, Global Payments

LAST YEAR, over 36 million tourists visited the UK, 5% up on 2014, with numbers expected to rise even more over the coming years.* For UK businesses, this serves as a valuable source of income, as most tourists and business people stay in hotels and B&Bs and are keen to eat out and drink at restaurants and pubs.

However, thinking about exchange rates and foreign currency conversions for every purchase is often unnerving and cumbersome for foreign travellers.

Help is at hand however. New payment technology, called Dynamic Currency Conversion, helps hotels, pubs and restaurants to offer tourists and business travellers the option to pay in their own currency rather than Sterling, through a selection on the PIN pad.

This eliminates any uncertainty over the actual cost of the purchase, and the exchange

Smart Phones Are Great But! IN TODAY’S fast paced world we all rely on being in constant communication and your guests are no exception. Smart phones & tablets are now practically a necessity but keeping the devices charged up is always a challenge.

Most venues now offer internet access for their guests either for free or for a small charge and with many guests now using the internet offering a facility to recharge their devices is the next logical step.

The mobile phone has now become the centre of a guests work and personal life and without it they are lost, if you have a guest in

rate used for the transaction is provided to the cardholder, prior to completing the sale. Receipts show the exact exchange rate as well as the sale amount in Sterling and in the cardholder’s home currency.

This is great news for someone on holiday as they know exactly how much they are spending. It also simplifies a business traveller’s expense claims.

Every time a hotel, pub or restaurant takes a non-Sterling currency payment, they receive a commission and in most cases, our customers don’t have to pay set-up or ongoing fees to be able to provide these solutions. This gives them a competitive edge as they adapt their business to be as open as possible to international visitors.

It also leaves a very positive impression with a customer - next time they visit the UK they may be more likely to revisit the hotel or bar because they have made payments easy and convenient for them.

Reader enquiries - Tel: 0800 731 8921 or visit www.globalpaymentsinc.co.uk * VisitBritain your lobby, restaurant or bar and they have important calls to make or emails to send it’s a disaster if the battery runs flat just at the point they need it most.

Offering charging stations in hotel lobbies, conference rooms & bars eliminates the scramble for a plug socket and wires trailing from sockets to devices. Many hotels are now also offering charging stations in rooms.

PCS offer a full range of phone charging systems including portable wireless chargers & secure lockers with full branding options to ensure you get the very best value from your investment. PCS even have phone charging systems with video screens to run your own promotions & advertising.

For further information on the range of commercial phone charging systems available call PCS on 0845 6444109 or visit the website wwwphonechargingsystems.com.

State-Of-The-Art EPOS Systems from 3R

Our State-of-the-art EPOS systems are designed to become an essential part of your business.

Assembled with detailed reporting functionalities which will help to minimize your cost whilst maximizing profits, they are excellent for both multi-sites and single-site businesses.

Built on over 16 years of experience, 3R Epos’ reporting facilities safely stores information regarding your business and can be uniquely tailored to suit your needs.

Whether you own a convenience store, restaurant or a bar, the 3R Epos system can

integrate products that are unique to your business. This can include the ability to store new promotions, daily specials as well as adding local dishes to the menu.

3R Epos systems will contribute to the success of your ongoing business as it includes the ability to inform managers when your stock is reaching minimum levels thus allowing you to re-order stock accordingly. Furthermore, 3R Epos systems will calculate and suggest what should be ordered based on current and archived sales, recent orders and current stock level thus saving time and money.

For more information on our services please contact our dedicated team on: 01992 574 650.

Boutique Hotel Group The Mercer Collection

WHEN SUCCESSFUL boutique hotel group The Mercer Collection in the South of England grew rapidly to seven hotels, it turned to NFS Technology Group to provide an up-to-date online booking system.

NFS provided a complete and easy-to-use solution in the shape of its roomMaster hotel management suite – used by 6,000 hotels worldwide - working with the Availpro Smart Booking Engine.

NFS CEO Luis De Souza said: “roomMaster handles all aspects of hotel management from guest check in to housekeeping to drinks in the bar to final checkout and billing, and supports the smooth functioning of hotels with extensive management reporting and marketing features.”

Rejuvenate Wi-Fi

With a seven-year history of installing Hotel WiFi networks Rejuvenate understand that every Hotel is different and each comes with its own set of challenges.

Rejuvenate Wi-Fi over Coax eliminates 95% of all Hotel Wi-Fi problems, the access point sits between the TV point and the back of the TV, no extra cabling, no interference with the TV and delivers Internet speeds of 320 mbps.

Availpro – roomMaster’s partner – provides a complete ebooking suite of software including tools to help managers operate on-line distribution, maximise commission-free bookings and facilitate decision-making processes on price optimisation and e-reputation.

“We have now a professional and comprehensive booking engine on our website ensuring maximum conversion from our own site thanks to the Smart Booking Engine,” said Ellie, who also loves NFS’ 24hour technical support..

“We can’t fault roomMaster at all – we’re completely reliant on it now, and very happy,” she said.

For more information about roomMaster, EPOS and other hotel management software solutions, visit www.nhs-hospitality.com or call 01992 514 555.

With Rejuvenates Coax Wi-Fi there is no need for costly and unsightly cabling, keeping the installation cost very low and implementation very fast. The central management tools allow Hotel management to control access to Wi-Fi for all users.

Your Wi-Fi service can be combined with Social Media login, Facebook, Twitter etc, use this to build your online presence and market to previous users of your Wi-Fi network. We have been successfully designing and installing commercial Wi-Fi networks for small bijoux hotels right up to eleven story International hotels for the last seven years.

Please call us on 01202 237273 for a friendly chat about your project or see the advert on page 9.

RS100 Background Music Systems RS100 SUPPLIES cost effective Background Music Sound Systems and is owned by Award Winning Entrepreneur Roddy Stewart, who has been trading in the Sound & Lighting business for over 25 years and built a strong reputation all over the UK . Our sole job is creating the right sound atmosphere in Hotels, Restaurants, and Retail, really anywhere that music or voice announcements are required.

Some of our recent customers have been, Rick Steins, Di Maggio’s, Edinburgh Airport, Loch Fyne Restaurants & Burger King Creating the right sound is of key importance to give customers a feeling of ease and create the mood or experience that is required to generate sales or atmosphere.

We specialize in background music systems and do both ceiling and wall mounted speakers, all sound systems can be configured to each customer’s needs , be it 1 Zone 4 speaker systems to Multi Zone speaker systems in Airports , Hotels or Conference Centers.

Our online company is a set up to sell specialist packaged systems giving customers an easy way to buy a 1 stop solution for their needs. Or we can custom design a sound system bespoke to any requirement.

In addition to supplying sound systems we also supply music playback systems, ranging from iPod docking systems to CD, MP3, SD and USB based systems.

Visit us at www.rs100.co.uk to find our full range of solutions and see how we can help you drive your business forward today, or contact Roddy Stewart directly on 0141 337 1100 or email: sales@rs100.co.uk

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July 2016

Outdoor Leisure

Hospitalitygem Survey Identifies The Ideal Al Fresco Dining Experience AS THE busy summer months approach, HospitalityGEM has completed an extensive survey to determine exactly what the guest wants when eating or drinking outside.

Perhaps the greatest incentive for operators keen to develop their outdoor eating experience is the news that a huge 79 per cent of respondents would increase their dwell time if table service was available outside. However this service must be efficient, as 48 per cent of people said that slow or poor service most puts them off from eating outside.

Lunch is the most popular meal for al fresco dining, with the majority of customers stating they would choose to eat two courses. In terms of facilities, 39 per cent would expect a pub to offer a children’s play area as part of its outdoor experience, while a considerable 32 per cent would like music played through speakers. This is a desire particularly prevalent in those aged 18-35, as they are three times more likely to want music from speakers than those aged 36+ (39.8 per cent compared to 13.09 per cent).

And comfort is key too, with heating, shelter from the wind and garden umbrellas all expected as basic facilities for a pub with outside eating. Operators should also consider separate eating areas for smokers and non-smokers, with respondents to HospitalityGEM’s

survey commenting: “I really hate how smokers think they own the outdoor area – it’s the main reason I don’t eat outdoors!” and “Smokers are the biggest issue with eating outside.”

Finally, it’s worth exploring the technological options available to assist with an outdoor dining experience, as 37 per cent of customers said they would be more inclined to dine al fresco if they could communicate with serving staff via an app on their phone. This figure increases to 45 per cent amongst men, and 53 per cent for the 18-25 age group.

Steven Pike, MD of HospitalityGEM, said: “The summer season is hugely important for any pub operator and there are real opportunities to maximise sales by getting the al fresco dining experience right. It’s easy to neglect this area but operators may find opportunities in focussing similar attention on its appearance and facilities as they do on the inside of a site.

“Rather than stretch your team across both areas, and neglect customers as a consequence, make sure you have enough staff on to cover outside as well as inside. This will ensure that all guests feel valued and give team members the opportunity to create a memorable experience that will lead to positive word-of-mouth and repeat visits.”

Glassjacks Ltd

Glassjacks are pleased to announce a new range of products and an improved website (www.glassjacks.co.uk). Customers can now purchase a full range of beautiful catering quality glassware (Genware) and glassjacks together.

From elegant wine glasses and champagne flutes to tumblers, beer glasses, shot glasses, carafes and water jugs. This full range of glassware complements our comprehensive range of glassware storage boxes (glassjacks).

The Fabulous Bench Boys WE ENDEAVOUR to produce a table which is going to suit your needs, and your budget.

Our Standard Pub Picnic Benches are ideal if you are looking for a basic, cost effective addition to promote your outdoor business.

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• Delivered fully assembled & weather treated - ready for use.

• Standard features x5 timbers to the table top.

• Standard Picnic Tables are 100% screwed & bolted, no more nails!

• Includes 50mm parasol hole "see Parasols & Bases".

If you serve food to your outdoor seated areas, you may wish to look at our Premium Picnic Benches.

If it’s just glassware storage boxes (glassjacks) you are looking for there is a new feature on our website, the “Glass Measurement Guide” where you simply insert your glass height and width to be directed straight to the glassjack you require.

Our additional new products include compartment glass racks, dishwasher racks, barware and plastic glassware.

Glassjacks Ltd have supplied products for over 5 years to thousands of delighted customers; from catering hire companies; race courses; hotels; bars; restaurants; golf courses; glass manufacturers; catering wholesale suppliers, event companies and many more.

For your glassware storage box and glassware requirements please take a look at our new website www.glassjacks.co.uk.

Premium Benches have a much larger table top surface area, and are therefore much more suitable in dining situations " Our Premium Picnic Benches are ideal if your establishment serves food, or if you just want to offer your patrons a more comfortable outdoor facility. Tables feature a larger seat (x3 timbers) and a larger table top (x7 timbers), they are also larger in width which offers a little more leg room.

• Delivered fully assembled & weather treated - ready to use.

• Greater width, larger seat and table top area, ideal for Gastropubs.

• Premium Picnic Tables are 100% screwed & bolted, no more nails!

• Includes 50mm parasol hole "see Parasols & Bases".

For further details see advert this page.

The Ideal BBQ Smoker

Super-fuelled by our coconut green energy pellets The Akwill BBQ Smoker and BBQ Grill is unique in so many ways - it makes the most delicious smoked food and is one of the best Smokers money can buy.

Our Green Energy Barbecue Equipment works by superheating superheating our green energy charcoal in our speciality barbecue appliance which then converts the coconut charcoal into a gaseous state which smokes the food till it cooks.

The smoke which is released is used to barbecue the food in the equipment which has been specially modified to process our coconut charcoal. The green energy avoids the harmful effects of kerosene or other petroleum products typically used for conventional charcoal barbecues.

This BBQ Smoker uses Coco Pellets which are ‘moisture resistant pellet fuel ‘.

These wonderful pellets will work with most pellet fuel heating systems and do not disintegrate with moisture unlike traditional conventional wood pellets.

To find out more Contact Us on: 0203 287 4251 Email: info@akwillbbqsmoker.co.uk or visit: www.akwillbbqsmoker.co.uk

Outdoor Leisure

July 2016

Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier

Kirklees Developments Ltd Catering Equipment New for 2015 is our Decarboniser soak tank.

Designed for ease of use and robustness. Fabricated from stainless steel with 150Litre usable capacity. Simply switch it on, leave your pans and grills in it overnight, take out the clean stuff in the morning.

With over 35 years’ experience of designing and manufacturing barbecues and a variety of gas appliances with C.E approval Kirklees Developments now produce 2 sizes of hog roasters, to cook up to 200lb pigs.

The 200lb pig roaster, the largest on the market, has a viewing window and wooden handles

for comfort. It`s geared motor unit is 4 times the power of smaller roasters in its class. Chickens, jacket potatoes etc. can be cooked in the optional attachment & tall chefs may specify the optional adjustable carving brackets. Carving trays are also available.

Kirklees Developments produce an extensive range of large professional catering grill & griddle barbecues including the widely respected Masterchef and Zenith ranges.

The 8 burner Magnum has removable grills for easy cleaning and is most versatile due to its overall size and independently controllable burners.

Tel: 01484 401134, Email: enquiries@kdev.co.uk Web: www.kdev.co.uk

Creating the Perfect Outdoor Area Makes Great Business Sense ARE YOU making the best use of your outdoor areas? We have helped many businesses across the leisure and hospitality industries transform their underused outdoor areas into stylish and functional spaces offering all-weather al fresco dining and space to relax and enjoy the outdoors in a comfortable environment.

Our aim is to offer you the best shelter and shade solution to suit the needs of your business, that’s why we have developed a comprehensive range of stylish and affordable canopies and shelter solutions. A properly designed outdoor area that matches customer needs will

ensure that customers keep coming back and also will be encouraged to stay longer, boosting sales of food and drink.

Many businesses lose the use of their outdoor space in poor weather, but with the right canopy this need not to be the case. Our range of adaptable canopies with retractable roofs that can be partially or fully retracted at the touch of a button to ensure your customers are sheltered from the elements, come rain or shine.

We also offer a range of robust and attractive Jumbrellas, designed to withstand higher wind speeds that can be branded with any corporate identity.

See our full range at www.ablecanopies.co.uk call us on 0800 389 9072 or email: sales@ablecanopies.co.uk

Country Benches - High Quality Benches

COUNTRY BENCHES is run by a vastly experienced and time served tradesman who has been serving in the trade for over 25 years. The business was started 15 years ago and we have provided our services independently ever since. In this time he has developed the business into being family run, amassed a loyal customer base and welcomes new customers on a regular basis.

Country Benches creates high quality benches, picnic benches and garden furniture.

We only work with the best quality of wood to bring you the highest standards of benches and garden furniture. Country Benches can create benches to exact specifications as well as offering a large variety of standard design

garden furniture. Call Country Benches to see what we can do for you.

Although based in Bedfordshire we cover the whole of the United Kingdom on trade offers. Country Benches is also pleased to be able to offer you a delivery service for smaller orders with a delivery cost. In addition to this, Country Benches can offer you these prices much cheaper than our competitors. Our services are great value for money and are of the absolute best quality.

All our products are built to order and delivered within seven days and we also operate a "payment on delivery" basis. So contact us today so that we can build your order to your exact specifications.

For further details visit www.countrybenches.co.uk

www.countrybenches.co.uk 01480 400346 Octagonal Bench 8 Seat Sizes L x W

Table 31⁄2ft x 31⁄2ft Seat 31⁄2ft x 1ft Overall 6ft x 6ft Special Price £184.99

Supreme Benches Sizes L x W

4 Seat 31⁄2ft x 41⁄2ft £74.99 4L 4ft x 41⁄2ft £79.99 6 Seat 41⁄2ft x 41⁄2ft £84.99 6L 5ft x 41⁄2ft £89.99 8 Seat 51⁄2ft x 41⁄2ft £94.99 8L 6ft x 41⁄2ft £99.99 Due to ongoing demand!

Special Offer for July Buy 5 get 1 FREE

Free Delivery on 4 or more benches Delivery approximately 1 week

Call us on 01480 400346 or 07446 101657 All prices exclude VAT

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Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier

July 2016

Outdoor Leisure Fish – A Fresher Alternative When the Summer Temperatures Soar!

DINING AL FRESCO can be a big draw at this time of year and a commercial barbecue from British manufacturer Cinders Barbecues Ltd can be unfolded and cooking within minutes, allowing you to take advantage of an unexpected burst of sunshine and keeping your customers happy and relaxed with a drink and a bite to eat.

Everyone has heard the ‘throw another shrimp on the barbie’ phrase and fish and seafood is a great alternative to the traditional burgers and sausages from the barbecue, particularly during the summer when we love to be

Leisurebench Ltd

THERE HAS been tremendous interest in the new Oasis collection from Leisurebench, suitable for outdoor or indoor use. This has really added a new dimension to the existing Rattan range and includes sofa sets, dining sets plus tables and chairs of the highest quality.

Leisurebench has also recently introduced a new collection of Tolix style table and chairs, classic designs made from extra thick steel plate for commercial strength and durability. Unlike most on the market the steel has been electro-galvanised before powder coating.

The galvanizing helps to prevent rust

outdoors.

As the temperatures soar we crave something light, tasty and nutritious. Think shrimp skewers with summer veggies – so quick and easy. For a lower cost alternative try fish tacos – salmon with basil mayonnaise, or any firm white fish with a refreshing mango salsa or try something spicy like zesty lime and coriander dressing with a light coleslaw The soft taco shells take only seconds to warm through on a griddle or flat top and the fish cooks quickly on a Cinders barbecue with supportive grilling surface set to medium – see fish tacos and shrimp skewer videos on the Cinders Barbecues website: www.cindersbarbecues.co.uk or call 01524 262900 for more information. even if the outer powder coating is damaged. This makes this range suitable for outdoors and more than suitable for indoor use. The chairs are also available in a range of exciting colours.

The company will also shortly be announcing the launch of a new range of smart and chic ISO table tops.

The Leisurebench range of products is extensive, ranging from traditional teak furniture through to a collection made entirely from recycled plastic, which is growing massively in popularity.

A fast delivery is guaranteed from our own warehouses and over 55.000 square feet of storage space, ensures there is always a large range in stock.

A wide range of accessories is also available including parasols, jumbrellas, heaters, cushions etc.

Visit the Leisurebench website at www.leisurebench.co.uk, or telephone our dedicated sales team on 01949 862920. Email: sales@leisurebench.co.uk.

Café Culture - Pavement Profit

WE ARE an independent supplier serving the outdoor restaurant trade with supplies for outdoor seating areas. We have some large clients including Gondola group along with many smaller cafe bars, restaurants and public houses.

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We design and manufacturer our own windbreaks and use the best materials available. For anyone looking long term that saves you money as you won’t be replacing cheap internet imports next season. It’s one area where it doesn’t pay to

buy budget as the continual bumps and scrapes outdoor goods receive combined with the harsh British climate really needs something tough enough for the job.

We also supply Markilux awning which are some of the best made in the industry and Uhlmann parasols another top rated German brand.

Bespoke goods are also a speciality with custom made menu holders, waiter stations and planters all to you requirement.

If we can help you do drop a line to sales@cafeculture.biz

Outdoor Leisure

British BBQ Battle 2016 Champion Is Crowned!

15TH JUNE 2016 marked the 5th Annual British BBQ Battle, held at the historic and prestigious Blenheim Palace. After a cloudy start, the sun shone through as the finalists battled it out, with some truly outstanding dishes prepared by all competitors. Thundery showers rolled in for the close of the event as the winners were announced.

On winning the title, Martin said, “I really enjoyed competing in such a well organised cooking event. The Crown Verity BBQs that we used are a fantastic bit of kit and I can’t wait to receive my winning prize – a top of the range Crown Verity – to try out some new dishes. It was a brilliant day and to win was just amazing.”

A tough decision was ahead for the event judges – this year comprising of Ben Bartlett, BBQ Champion & President of the British BBQ Association; Bill Verity, President of Crown Verity – joining us from Canada; Jim Eaves, Chairman of the British Culinary Foundation and Gareth Finney of the Albion Taverna, who held the proud title of 2015 BBQ Battle Champion.

Each judge marked the chefs individually on their dishes’ taste, texture and appearance and marks were also awarded for use of the Crown Verity BBQ and hygiene practices.

2016 also marked the introduction of ‘The Peoples Vote’ which allowed spectators to select their favourite contestant – based on whatever criteria they chose. Compere for the day, Claire Stuart, did a fantastic job of keeping everyone involved and informed throughout the competition.

As the event drew to a close, the judges reached their final decisions and the winners were announced:

2016 Category Winners Pub, Bars & Restaurants Winner: Dave Alebon, Stonegate

Runner up: Phillip Hunt, Marston’s Inns & Taverns Leisure & Contract Caterers Winner: Logan Lloyd, Baxterstorey Runner up: Simon Rapkin, Food Events Ltd University Category Winner: Martin Wheeler, University of Reading Runner up: Ash Spencer, Westminster Kingsway College Hotel Category Winner: Gerald Quadros, The Lensbury Runner up: Matthew Hill, Down Hall Country House Hotel Peoples Vote Winner Simon Rapkin, Food Events Ltd 2016 BBQ Battle Champion Martin Wheeler, University of Reading Ray Hall, Managing Director of main sponsor R H Hall, concluded, “The 5th annual BBQ Battle shows that this event keeps going from strength to strength, with extraordinary dishes yet again produced by all competitors. Thank you to all of our co-sponsors, judges and event organisers H2O Publishing, with a special thanks to Bill Verity for travelling from Canada to join us again for this event. Blenheim Palace provided a beautiful backdrop for the day and a great BBQ lunch was provided by Searcy’s”.

All 8 finalists were rewarded with a Sharp R21AT Commercial Microwave, a Simply Stainless Professional Chef’s table, Smeg Mixer, full set of Lion Sauces and exclusive British BBQ Battle chef’s whites. The overall champion, also came away with a top of the range Crown Verity MCB-36 BBQ, worth over £3,000 and £100 of One4All vouchers.

The prizes, worth in excess of £15,000, were kindly provided by leading foodservice equipment supplier RH Hall, and their co sponsors Crown Verity, Sharp, Smeg and Simply Stainless and AAK Foodservice, supplier of Lion Sauces.

Take Your Kitchen Outside This Summer with Crown Verity MAXIMISE YOUR food offering and increase your sales this summer by creating your very own outdoor kitchen. Start with a Crown Verity – the King of the BBQ world – with sizes starting at 30” and up to a massive 72” cooking area.

Supplied with a roll dome, bun rack and shelf - with a multitude of accessories such as griddles and steam pans available – the versatility of this product goes much

further than just cooking burgers and sausages, although it handles those with ease!

Add Simply Stainless prep tables, refrigeration and even bespoke branding to create a complete outdoor cooking and serving area.

Get the BBQ fired up and wait for the customers to arrive – it’s hard to resist the smell of BBQ food on a Summers day!

Please visit www.rhhall.com or call the Sales Team on 01296 663400 for more information. Visit our You Tube channel to see Crown Verity in action – www.youtube.com/user/rhhallcatering

July 2016

Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier

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Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier

July 2016

Design and Refit

Planning a Renovation?

ALL HOSPITALITY businesses, whether you are a hotel, pub, restaurant, bed-and-breakfast, take away, will require some form of renovation work at one stage or another, it might be small repair or maintenance work to a full or partial refurbishment.

One of the clear advantages, sometimes painful though that may be of review sites, is that they give business owners an opportunity to see what issues consistently commented on by guests. According to statistics 90% of people will read a review before booking a hotel room. Unlike them or hate them, every business needs a good review.

So if you are constantly seeing words like “tired, in need of TLC, needs freshening up”, then you will know a refurbishment of some sort is needed. No matter what level of refurbishment a business undertakes it can only have a positive impact on the business, on staff morale, will draw in new custom, and also encourage guests to spend more time, and hopefully more money.

The list and cost for any refurbishment is not an exact science, and will depend on many factors in particular budget. Time is precious so preparing a budget beforehand will mean you’re only shopping around for what you can basically afford. Working to a budget will help you know your expectations both aesthetically and financially help you to eliminate any problems before you even begin!

However there are some basic considerations: • Exterior - you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Take a long hard look at the outside your property signage, the gardens lighting paintwork, you want your business to look smart, clean, tidy and more importantly inviting.

• Interior - this requires a lot of focus, be mindful of what

Dining Chairs UK

Dining Chairs UK has been set up to offer quality contract dining furniture to the hotel, restaurant, pub trades and leisure industries at realistic prices. We carry a lot of our range in stock

type of customer you want to attract and the establishment you are. Make sure that your interior matches the style of service and quality, you give your customers. Classic, tasteful and contemporary are all popular forms of décor.

• Flooring - Is your floor fit for purpose? Hard wearing stain proof, resilient, ease of care and maintenance. Again impressions are of the utmost importance, hospitality premises will want to attract customers and keep them for repeat business and with attractive and hard wearing carpets you can achieve both a practical and elegant interior. Considerations need to be made for the existing décor and the suitability for different areas of the building.

For many people there is nothing better than the soft feel of a plush carpet beneath their feet and this could make all the difference in certain areas of the hospitality industry. For others, the laminate flooring route provides both the style and the practical element needed.

• Furniture - What type of furniture you have in your business will speaks volumes about your business. If your furniture (including cafe furniture, bar furniture, restaurant/bistro furniture, beds etc) looks dirty, worn, and uncomfortable it is going to hurt your business ultimately. And people will take it out on Tripadvisor.

Working to select new furniture not only provides your business with an updated appearance, but it also ensures that everything is in exceptional shape so that you can wow and amaze your clients with each visit.

Whatever level of refurbishment you are looking to undertake particular with the holiday season upon us, a real “fresh look”, will enhance your business increased profitability and help make your reviews on Internet review sites more positive, which in turn will lead to more custom. CLH News refurbishment section is packed an array of businesses, products and services which will help you maximise your business is potential.

so we can help you to meet your deadlines. We also offer a unique source and supply service; if you send us a picture of an item we will do our up most to supply to you at the best price.

All our furniture is manufactured to the highest standards, we only use hardwood frames which are glued screwed and dowelled for strength. crib5 interliner (if required) sprung seat areas or webbing and top quality Italian leathers and fabrics.

For further information, call 0115 965 9030 or email info@diningchairsuk.com

Pro Auction Valuers & Auctioneers

PRO AUCTION Limited are one of the leading specialist valuers & auctioneers. Providing a comprehensive range of services to ensure that the full value of surplus or redundant assets are realised, to maximum value, be that by a private treaty, tender or auction.

Auctions are conducted on a regular basis, throughout Europe in the Hospitality, Catering & Leisure sectors.

We provide valuation and sale advice on all classes of industrial and commercial business assets.

Auction sales are conducted both

on site and webcast through our world-wide bidding platform.

Pro Auction runs both traditional and online auctions throughout Europe, using the latest auction platforms and software, developed to meet the demands and needs of both the seller and purchaser. The company provides expert advice to insolvency practitioners, corporate recovery specialists and turnaround professionals. It is widely acknowledged as a leading provider of machinery and business asset advice – from initial valuation to exit strategy planning and implementation – helping clients through the whole process.

Contact Pro Auction Limited on 01761 414000 or email info@proauction.ltd.uk

There Is No Chair Like A Chairmaker Chair

CHAIRMAKER ARE British designer manufacturers of stunning chairs and sofas. Built tough for life in your busy venue.

Unlike cheap imported chairs, Chairmaker bespoke chairs and sofas will last for years as they are designed from the ground up for contract use. All internals meet crib5 fire, The timbers are FSC or PEFC certified and meet EUTR regulations. You can supply your own fab-

rics or choose from the hundreds at the Chairmaker factory in Sussex.

These chairs have attention to detail like no other and that is why you will find them in London's most exclusive venues. Built to order in Sussex there is no chair like a Chairmaker chair.

T. 01903 202008 E. chairs@chairmaker.co.uk W. www.chairmaker.co.uk

Why PVC Banners Have The Midas Touch For Your Business PVC banners are a cost-effective way of pushing marketing and sales messages to the paying public “Brown paper packages tied up with string, these are a few of my favourite things” sang Maria in The Sound of Music, although the attractive songstress forgot to include PVC banners amidst the mentions of schnitzel with noodles and snowflakes that fall on her nose and eyelashes.

PVC banners are certainly one of our favourite things and that’s why HFE was set up in the first place. We recognised that there was a growing demand from businesses to pursue this cheap and effective way of peddling their wares all year round.

For the uninitiated, a PVC banner is a display item that you might see outside a pub, restaurant, leisure centre, gym or public event. These banners are built to last with strong durable outdoor 550gsm coated PVC ensuring that they stand up to any weather condition. The full solvent inks used on the banners have been severely road-tested to make sure that the message stays sharp irrespective of snow, sleet or rain.

Why use PVC banners?

We’ve already mentioned that they’re a cheap option that caters for any marketing budget. Starting from £13.99, PVC banners don’t break the

bank so there is little downside to getting involved and testing the market.

Businesses now recognise that word of mouth can only take you so far, with their premises often ideal for attaching a PVC banner or two. So a pub who does a cracking Sunday carvery can create themselves a banner at HFE advertising this fact along with some gorgeous imagery of roast meats and vegetables.

At the HFE website, we offer customers the chance to design their own PVC banners. It’s a free design service which is great for those businesses that want something unique or bespoke. However, on the flip side, we already have banner designs that you can grab “off the shelf” for popular events such as pub nights, Valentine’s Day and Christmas.

When you order more than one banner with HFE, then we’ll throw free delivery into the equation. Then there’s the fact that any order before 11am means next working day delivery and we’re naturally a 24/7 business when it comes to designing and ordering online.

PVC banners tied up with string, they might just be our favourite thing! www.hfe-signs.co.uk

CK Direct

CK DIRECT is a UK based company situated in the Cambridgeshire town of Peterborough.

Since 2002, we have established ourselves as a leading supplier of Commercial Kitchen.

All of our products and services are offered nationwide throughout the UK. Our company has had previous experience in the supply of catering equipment, though 2002 has seen us concentrate solely on offering commercial kitchen

Design and Refit

July 2016

Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier

extraction systems, with canopies available at both the lowest possible prices and the highest quality.

Our services include: • Commercial Extraction Hoods and Canopies • Standard Kitchen Ventilation and Extraction • Bespoke Kitchen Ventilation and Extraction • Air Input Systems and Replenishment • Gas Interlock Systems • Carbon Filter Systems and Odour Control • Silencers and Noise Control • Stainless Steel Wall Cladding • Hygienic Plastic Wall Cladding • Replacement Filters • Replacement Fans For further details Tel: 0808 178 0001, email: info@ckdirect.co.uk, web: www.ckdirect.co.uk

Get Ready For Summer with MAJisign!

MAJISIGN'S NEW range of rustic wooden crates are now available to order, and we are offering a huge 20% off to launch the new crates for the summer!

New rustic wooden crates are available in a range of different sizes and colours to suit your business or home needs. They make an ideal storage or display solution in any shop, pub and restaurant or even in the home or garden.

Based on traditional apple crates, used to store and deliver fruit to shops and homes, these modern crates are strong and attractive alternative displays to use in your home or business. With top quality guaranteed, our crates are made from high quality,

MST Auctioneers Ltd

MST AUCTIONEERS Ltd specialise in handling & auctioning a wide variety of goods.

We act for Insolvency Practitioners, Receivers, Bailiffs and Solicitors as well as large PLCs. We are members of The National Association of Auctioneers and Valuers (NAVA).

For the past 25 years, we've provided a unique disposal service tailored to suit, liquidators, banks, receivers, probate solicitors as well as private vendors.

We carry out probate valuations and conduct complete house as well as commercial clearances.

We have the largest Auction venue in the South of

chunky joinery grade Scandinavian Pine and are all manufactured in house, at our Bury St Edmunds workshop and design office.

All of our crates can be personalised with printed logos, laser engraved branding and with chalkboards for your own messages.

Can’t find what you’re looking for? As we make everything in house, you have bespoke manufacturing at your fingertips, we can produce a crate to your bespoke size and requirements.

From a chat on the phone, a written idea in an email or a scribble on a piece of paper. MAJisign will create your bespoke item for you.

Call us today on: 0800 783 5887 or visit www.majisign.co.uk/getreadyforsummer

England.

Our regular monthly Auctions occupy 45,000 sq.ft. of undercover space, selling over 2500 lots from 3 rostrums over two days.

We have storage and removal facilities. In addition we have forklifts for machinery up to 5 tons..

• Regular Auctions of • Antiques and Collectables.

• Commercial Catering Equipment.

• Office Furniture & Computer Equipment.

• Household Furniture and White Goods.

• Plant & Machinery, Engineering & Woodworking.

• Commercial Vehicles & Cars • TIMED & LIVE ON-LINE Auctions We also hold regular Auctions ”On Site” and "On Line".

For further details, see the advert on the opposite page.

Please mention the Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier News when replying to advertising Inspired foodservice solutions to keep you cooking For good looking, hard working kitchens, trust Sprint Group.

Our experienced team installs high quality commercial kitchens across the UK and provides ongoing technical support to keep equipment running smoothly and help prevent the risk of costly breakdowns.

Whether you require a full kitchen or a single piece of equipment, Sprint delivers time after time. We offer a design consultancy service and supply a wide range of products from leading manufacturers including: • Catering equipment including ovens, grills, hob units, microwaves and heated cupboards • Dishwashers and glasswashers • Bottle coolers • Bar units • Back bar systems • Cellar and keg coolers • Coffee machines • Servery counters • All types of refrigeration equipment including cold and freezer rooms • Ventilation solutions Once your equipment has been installed, Sprint’s qualified and GasSafe registered service team can provide 24/7 planned and reactive maintenance.

If your kitchen needs a makeover, we offer a complete refurbishment service comprising strip out, deep clean, storage and loan equipment if required.

Call us on 01386 555922 or email sales@sprint-group.co.uk to book your FREE site survey.

Quote promo code SPRINT16 for a discount on your purchase.

Find out more at www.sprint-group.co.uk

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Design and Refit

Capricorn Imports

CAPRICORN IMPORTS are now firmly established as one of the country’s largest stockist and supplier of quality contract furniture to cafes, bars, bistro's, restaurants, pubs, clubs and hotels.

Capricorn Imports are based in an 85,000 square feet showroom and distribution warehouse on the outskirts of Exeter in Devon.

From within the distribution area we are able

Novellini UK

NOVELLINI UK is the British branch of Novellini Group - The most important shower enclosure manufactured in Italy.

A vast range, extremely high quality and probably the most versatile in the market – anything is possible in terms of scale and design.

Throughout the world Novellini creates inspiring bathrooms that appeal to individuals at home, via our merchant partners. Working alongside architects and designers, we create beautiful and functional bathrooms that complement the home, helping to create tranquil spaces promoting Wellbeing within the living environment.

Based in the beautiful market town of St

Style Seating

STYLE SEATING are one of the UK's longest and most established manufacturers of banqueting and conference furniture.

Over many years the range of products has expanded to encompass not just quality banqueting and conference furniture manu-

to offer a next day delivery service throughout the UK on hundreds of products including outdoor dining tables, tub chairs, bar stools, lounge furniture, conference stacking chairs.

Customers are encouraged to visit our large showroom to view an extensive range of furniture ideally suited for the leisure market. Here you can relax and let Capricorn help and advise you with your requirements. Opening hours for the showroom are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Capricorn Imports are in the enviable position of being a sole UK importer of quality furniture which means that you the customer, will be dealing direct with manufacturers from around the world at very competitive prices.

For further details, please see the advert on this page.

Albans, Hertfordshire, we have a small but well stocked Showroom with multiple displays of enclosures, trays, baths and steam cabins.

At Novellini we understand that you desire individual bathroom designs, this is why we have created six new frame finishes to help you achieve these aspirations.

Enclosures are now available in nickel, matt black, polished gold, white, silver and polished chrome. In addition we have coated all our profiles with an anti-bacterial and anti-scale coating as standard.

New glass finishes include smoke, mirror and spy glass all with crystal clear glass treatment as standard.

All our products are maintained by our qualified service engineers and supported by parts readily available from stock.

Working with Novellini allows you the freedom to create a truly individual showering experience every time, why not visit our website or contact us for more information.

For further information call 01727 229 922 or visit www.novellini.co.uk

factured in the UK, but also furniture which is ideal for use in restaurants, reception areas, cafes, places of Worship, social clubs, break-out areas, meeting rooms and educational situations to name but a few of the many applications where the Style Seating combination of flexibility, practicality, quality, value and choice provide a range of seating solutions working for you. Our sales team will be pleased to answer any questions you have. Our team have a vast knowledge of our product range and can always call on our in-house technical department if you have any specific questions or requests.

Over 5,000 Customers and over 700,000 chairs made and counting.

For further information 01945 580099 or visit www.styleseating.co.uk

Design and Refit Greenguru-NE Supply Biomass Solutions to the Hotel & Leisure Industry IN 2011 Greenguru NE started trading in the domestic solar PV market, based in offices converted from a garage. Installed at over 500 outlets in the first year of trading, and gained MCS accreditation in Solar PV. In 2013 Greenguru’s biomass division was launched, and gained its MCS accreditation.

We established a supply chain partner with a number of leading Biomass boiler manufacturers all over the UK and quickly became the number one choice for the Renewable energy supplier to the Hotel and Leisure Industry .

We have since installed a £1.7m

project to Strathmore Hotel Group, 5 hotels within a 3 month period, comprising 39 Windhager Boilers. We have also completed installations for Best Western Hotels; Webb Group hotels i.e. Moor Hall, The Gables and George Hotel.

As well as the National Yorkshire Mining Museum and Rushton Hall Hotel.

We are currently completing a 3 month project to convert 8 Park Holiday Sites across the South of England to Biomass Energy installing over 2.5mW of heating and hot water saving in the region of 1.3million tonnes of carbon per year.

For more information how Greenguru-NE could help your business, please call today on 0191 513 0227 or visit www.greenguru-ne.co.uk

• Chargeback drops by more than ninety percent (90%) • Walkouts are reduced by at least fifty percent (50%) • Tab mistakes drop significantly and finally – • There is a major uptick in sales

Mattressman

OUR CONTRACTS department at Mattressman supplies mattresses of the highest quality to hotels, landlords, holiday cottages, leisure parks and more.

All mattresses meet either Source 5 or Source 7 flammability standard, and we offer a huge variety of types and sizes.

The Hotel Three Pocket, a luxury mattress in the Hotel Pocket range from the British Bed Company, contains 1200 pocket springs (in a king size) and has a

In addition, their customers really appreciate that their security concerns are dealt with in this easy to use system as offered by CardsSafe limited.

If you are concerned about how CardsSafe works within the PCI scheme, Alan Gill from the independent PCI certifying company Orthus Limited states: “The PCI DSS standard encompassed 264 controls. CardsSafe helps to reduce the need to meet all of these through ‘compensating controls’ which allow businesses to comply to the standard without having to change the way they operate”.

Please contact CardsSafe Limited on: Phone: 0845 5001040, Email: cardssafe@cardssafe.com or Web: www.cardssafe.com medium/firm tension. Pocket springs provide fantastic support, as they move individually, moulding to the shape of the user and cradling them in their natural sleeping position.

They also minimise disturbance between partners to ensure a restful night’s sleep. The thick layers of luxurious hypoallergenic fillings used in the Three Pocket ensure comfort and are perfect for allergy sufferers.

The Hotel Three Pocket is just one of the many mattresses we can supply, and plenty are in stock ready for free next day delivery, especially useful if you need to replace a mattress at short notice. With sizes from small single to super king and custom sizes available, as well as a wide range of prices and types of mattress, we’re confident that we can cater to you no matter what you require.

Call: 0800 5677625 or visit www.mattressman.co.uk/contract

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Commercial Renewable Energy Solutions Throughout The UK

0191 513 0227

CALL NOW FOR A FREE QUOTE In Brief

System: 360kW Biomass boiler system supplying heat and hot water to the 124 bedroom hotel Fuel: Wood Pellet Boiler: 6 x Windhager BioWin Excel 60kW in a cascade system Modified 40’ Steel container Store: Payback: Potential of £45,000 per year for 20 years under the non-domestic RHI scheme

Retain Credit & Debit Cards and Be PCI Compliant While Increasing Profits THE CARDSSAFE® system is now the “best practice” way of handling credit and debit cards retained by merchants in the UK hospitality industry.

More than three thousand venues now use the system every day and when managers share their experience they report these financial benefits:

July 2016

Following the survey and subsequent quotation provided for the installation of a 360kW biomass boiler system Greenguru Northeast was awarded the contract for the supply, installation and commissioning to Cumbria Grand Hotel in the Lake District.

The 6 x 60kw Windhager boilers replaced the existing inefficient gas fired boilers. It was agreed the system would be installed in the existing boiler room area, the 10 metre x 6 metre extinct storage area was ideal for the new installation. The plant consisted of 6 x 60kw Windhager boilers in a cascaded system, buffer vessels, all ancillaries and flues to each boiler, the flues protruding through the existing roof structure. A 40ft steel container was modified to house the pellet store and situated on land external to the plant room. Pellet feed tubes ran from the feed container through the plant room wall to each individual boiler.

The hotel’s heating and hot water are now renewable energy driven. The expected RHI returns are £900k over a 20 year period with an estimated payback period of 4.8years on investment.

www.greenguru-ne.co.uk

Please mention the Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier News when replying to advertising

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Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier

July 2016

6 Clarendon Place, King Street Maidstone.

Tel (01622) 685261

THE SIR ALF RAMSAY PUBLIC HOUSE, BROADMEAD, TUNBRIDGE WELLS • New Lease available free of tie.

• Open plan bar area, customer toilets, domestic kitchen, private living room.

• First floor flat 3 bedrooms and bathroom • Enclosed patio/garden area with picnic benches.

• Car park for 6/7 vehicles.

• The property is a listed Asset of Community Value • Situated in residential area close to town centre

NIL PREMIUM. GUIDE RENTAL £30,000 P.A. THINKING OF SELLING YOUR PROPERTY? WE OPERATE A NO SALE - NO FEE BASIS.

ANDREW GREENWOOD BUSINESS TRANSFER AGENT LOCK-UP FAST FOOD RESTAURANT & TAKE AWAY (A3/A5 USE), OFFERING A FUSION OF ASIAN & ORIENTAL FOOD IN A BOX, PRIME POSN IN CITY CENTRE, SOUTHAMPTON. Situated in a multiple shopping thoro’fare. Opened in March 2015 following £220,000 fit out. Eye-catching, air-con unit. Seats 38. Service counter with 2 Epos tills & superbly equipped theatre style kitchen area beyond. Run under p/t supervision. T/O £6,500 pw – 66% take away/deliveries. Recorded gross annual T/O £315,000. GP 70%. Scope for license & to extend opening hrs (closed 9.00 pm). 10 yr lease from Feb 2015 at £45,000 p.a.x. (Directors have no P/Gs).

– OIRO £50,000 + S.A.V. for 100% shareholding in Ltd Co. (Ref. C.3656) REFURBISHED/LOW RENT LICENSED RESTAURANT & BAR FOR LEASE IN HEART OF NEW FOREST. Situated in a prominent High Street location, in the heart of a well-known village, close to a large car park. Refurbished & fitted out in a contemporary style at a cost of approx. £176,000. 80 cover, air-con’d Restaurant & Bar has A1, A3 & unexploited A5 use.

Extensively equipped catering kitchen & yard with 3 car parking spaces.

T/O £6,000 pw (winter), rising to £8,500 pw (summer). SCOPE to introduce take-away food. 10 yr lease from Oct 2014 at current rental of £22,500 pax. Suitable for many styles of cuisine – especially Chinese. Must be viewed. – O.I.R.O. £80,000 + S.A.V. (Ref. C.3644B) LICENSED CONTINENTAL STYLE CAFÉ/RESTAURANT, PRIME POSN IN MARKET SQUARE, PETERSFIELD, HANTS. Character prop with 4 opening dble doors to sunny paved terrace with seating for 30 people. Tastefully decorated with exposed brick wall & strip wood effect floor. Offering seating for 20/28 people. Wood panelled servery with espresso & catering kitchen. Same hands 4 years. Open 7 days, closed at 6/7 pm. T/O £5,500 p.w. Recorded T/O £239,786 ex VAT y/e June 2015. GP £160,965 (67%).

Leasehold with approx. 11 yrs remaining at £25,000 p.a.x. - £160,000 + S.A.V. (Ref. C.3640) LOCK-UP CAFÉ WITH PROFITABLE SANDWICH TAKE AWAY TRADE, AMIDST MULTIPLE SHOPPING PRECINCT, COMMUTER TOWN CENTRE, BETWEEN PORTSMOUTH & PETERSFIELD. Eye-catching shop has pavement seating for 27. Attractively decorated, air con unit – seats 36.

Adj. L-shaped counter includes 5 display cabinets & rear prep area with espresso & soft ice cream machine. First flr prep rm & wc’s etc. Mainly staff run. SCOPE. Takings £4,000/£5,000 p.w. incl. approx. 40% take away.

T/O £226,394 ex VAT. GP approx. 68%. 10 yr lease from July 2012 @ £18,500 p.a.x. - £72,500 + S.A.V. (Ref. C.3586)

www.andrewgreenwood.com

romSEy (01794) 522228

FOR ACCOUNTING SERVICES

T E L E PHO N E 020 8673 2255 TAX

PAYE

ACCOUNTS

VAT

A comprehensive, specialised service whether you are starting up or run an established business

H D BUSINESS SERVICES LTD enquiries@hudsondeane.co.uk www.hudsondeane.co.uk

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Tel 01202 552333

Property and Professional The Insurance Act 2015; What It Means for Your Business and How You Can Prepare AS OF AUGUST this year, reforms in insurance contract law will mean changes in current policies for business owners. With Insurance Awareness Day taking place on June 28, Britain’s leading purchasing company, Beacon, is urging businesses to work with their brokers to prepare for the changes and ensure they are fully compliant.

The Insurance Act 2015 has been in progress with the Law Commission since 2006 Coming into effect in August 2016, the Act will remove any areas of ambiguity for policyholders and will apply to any policies that are renewed or varied from that point onwards Teri Humphries, Category Manager for Utilities and Services at Beacon, offered her knowledge and advice for businesses to prepare for the changes.

Under the new act there are three main areas of change: 1) How information is presented to the insurer; 2) Warranties and conditions and 3) Fraudulent claims. Essentially, the Act will make the insurance contract fairer for businesses, with remedies for any breaches being totally proportionate i.e. the Insurer will no longer be able to simply void the contract and not pay a claim. In return, businesses will need to take greater responsibility in providing clear and concise information to the Insurer.

Working with its leading insurance suppliers, ICB Group and Jelf, Beacon is offering the following advice to business owners to prepare for the changes: Effective communication

The Duty of Fair Presentation requires the Policyholder to disclose all material products to Senior Management and/or anyone who is responsible for arranging the insurance policy, which includes any board members, subsidiaries or trustees. In order to remain compliant, businesses should soon identify who their senior team is and establish a clear line of communication throughout the company.

Allow yourself time Before the Act, businesses would be allowed to ‘data dump’ information on insurers to handle. However, under the new Act, presenting large amounts of information with minimal instruction is considered unfair. Businesses should take time to ensure all information is presented and signposted clearly in order to remain compliant with the new Act. Work closely with your broker Businesses are likely to see changes ahead of the Act, if they haven’t already, which could include amendments to some contract clauses to move in line with changes laid out under the new Act. Businesses should seek clarification from their broker or an external body for any changes that are described as Insurance Act compliant.

Teri continued: Legislation changes and ensuring you change in accordance with that legislation can be daunting for any business. My main piece of advice to business owners is to encourage your key stakeholders to communicate throughout your business and contact your insurance broker to help you navigate these changes.

The Hospitality Business Mentor from The Bowden Group

DAVID HUNTER is the Hospitality Business Mentor – he works with owners and investors in hotels, restaurants and catering businesses.

Ensuring the business performs and makes the required profit, is what David does, and he does this by: 1. Setting realistic targets for the business, and creating budgets and forecasts 2. Monitoring Sales, Gross Margins and Labour costs very closely 3. Mentoring the owners and/or managers of the business to help them achieve their objectives Other areas that David advises on include:

• Marketing – general and specific (ie promotions etc) • Human Resources (HR) - including all the legislation, and disciplinary positions.

• Reward and Bonus schemes – always linked to achievement of objectives • Customer Service - including Hospitality skills training Do contact David for an informal chat, or make an appointment to meet with him.

Call David direct on: Mobile 07831 407984 or by email on davidhunter@bowdengroup.co.uk Visit the website at www.bowdengroup.co.uk or the Blogsite at www.hunterbowden.co.uk

Kings Arms Hotel, Kingsbridge, Devon on the Market AWARD WINNING Licensed and Leisure specialists Bettesworths are delighted to announce the availability of the Kings Arms Hotel in Kingsbridge, South Devon. Bettesworths have been instructed by the Wellington Pub Company to sell the freehold interest, seeking offers in excess of £400,000.

The Kings Arms is a substantial prominent three storey Grade II Listed coaching inn located in the centre of the town which has been extended to the rear. The property is currently closed however offers huge poten-

tial for a new operator to kick start a previously thriving business.

The property briefly comprises a main character bar area with separate dining section and further trading area, commercial kitchen with large walk-in fridge and various ancillaries, ladies & gents cloakrooms, beer cellar and office. On the first and second floors there are 15 letting rooms most of which are en suite. The first floor also has a substantial function/ballroom with interconnecting kitchen, bar area and conference room together with ladies & gents cloakrooms.

For further information please contact Bettesworths on 01803 212021.

Property and Professional

July 2016

Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier

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Forum of Private Business Publishes 10 Point Plan to Turn Brexit Into A Business Opportunity THE FORUM of Private Business has emailed George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Business and Anna Soubry, Minister of State for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise with their ten point plan to help grow the economy.

Forum Managing Director Ian Cass writes: “On behalf of our members, The Forum would like to see some clear action from our leaders. If we see Brexit as an opportunity, then small businesses can contribute massively to a bright future for the UK. We just need a bit of help, and would like to see the following 10 ideas put into practice:1. Clear direction and confidence. Let’s see a clear and decisive statement from the government saying who is in charge and what the government intend to do from now until a new leader is in place. We need to know exactly what they are doing and who is doing it; we need to see a plan and a strong united team working on it.

2. Reduce the red tape. Set up a project team now that gets together a wide range of small business owners, (not their representative bodies, though they can help finding the expert business owners), but businesses themselves. As they know the issues and the unnecessary rules, get them all in a room and ask them, “What works, what doesn’t and how do we make it better”. Then listen and act on what they say. You could cut a swathe through unnecessary regulation in a matter of months and free up the creativity and productivity of many of our small businesses.

3. Simplify the Tax system. Start to look at the UK’s ridiculously complicated tax system, get a team at HMRC to look at this now and build a plan so that we work out the details of leaving the EU in parallel with this plan to finally deal with this ridiculously complicated tax system, so that two years from now we manage our way out of the EU and

Porters Chartered Surveyors PORTERS CHARTERED Surveyors is a Kent based firm, serving customers throughout London and the South East. We are a service provider in all aspects of general commercial property practice including the specialist field of licensed property.

With over twenty years’ experience in the field and boasting a team

have a simplified and better tax system in place. If we simplify the tax system and apply it consistently, that would send a strong message about how we intend to do business in the UK. 4. Keep and attract the big businesses who operate in the UK. If we reduce the rate of corporation tax by 5% or 10%, we would probably keep those businesses already here and attract more. Again this would send out a strong message that the UK still wants to be a strong global player in the world.

5. Reward entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Double the dividend rate from £5,000 to £10,000. Many small business owners who take big risks in setting up and developing their businesses used the dividend as a means of taking reward when the business had a good year. The small tax break rewarded their risk taking and they only took money out when the business was growing and thriving, so could afford it.

6. Give a boost to small business and the High Street.

Let’s cut business rates significantly. Business pays these rates regardless of their profitability and at a time when many businesses haven’t recovered fully from the crash. Let’s give them a real shot in the arm by cutting the business rates and grow our independent businesses on UK High Streets.

7. Reassurance for workers. We are a country that was built on immigration. We have benefited massively, both culturally and economically from it, so let’s be clear that we welcome immigration. We just want some sensible controls on it, that will benefit the country and the people who arrive here to work hard and build a life in the UK. If an Australian style point’s system is the answer then let’s get it built and put in place quickly.

8. Education and training. Let’s make sure we have an education system in place that delivers well educated and skilled workers into the UK and world economy. If we are in control of the money that used to go to the EU, then let’s spend of dedicated professionals, Porters is able to offer the highest quality service to a wide range of clients, from private individuals to national companies.

Having operated from the centre of Maidstone since our establishment in 1991, we are uniquely qualified to advise clients throughout the South East. Our eminently experienced Directors are assisted in their work by a small and diligent team, as well as a group of dedicated outside contractors, each of whom is succinctly qualified in his or her field.

For further details call 01622 685261 or see the advert on the page opposite.

The Union Inn, Torrington, Devon for Sale Freehold AN ATTRACTIVE traditional village inn with prominent road frontage and presented to an exceptionally high standard throughout, The Union Inn is now being offered for sale by licensed and leisure property specialists, Stonesmith of Exeter.

The Union Inn is an attractive and impressive detached village inn presented in first class order throughout and having been the subject of complete renovation and refurbishment over recent years with almost no stone being left unturned. This well regarded business occupies a sizeable corner plot and the property briefly comprises:- Character Main Bar (50+), Restaurant (20) Pool Room (14), fully equipped Commercial Catering Kitchen with backup and ancillary facilities. Office, spacious family sized Owner’s Accommodation with 3 Double Bedrooms, Sitting Room, fully fitted Kitchen/Dining Room and Family Bathroom. Externally, the property benefits from a small Forecourt Area

to the front, an Enclosed Trade Garden to the rear with patio and lawned areas providing Al Fresco Seating for 50 plus customers, and Customer Car Parking for around 20 vehicles. The sale of The Union Inn represents an opportunity to purchase a quality public house business and home and a viewing is strongly recommended in order to fully appreciate the standards inherent throughout all aspects of the business and property.

The trade is split 70% wet sales and 30% food sales and the business benefits from a 5 Star Food Hygiene Rating and a website www.unioninn-stibbcross.co.uk which provides further information. We believe the sale of The Union Inn represents an excellent opportunity to purchase a well regarded business with genuine potential to develop all aspects of the trade still further.

The freehold interest of The Union Inn is being offered for sale off an asking price of £410,000. Full details can be downloaded from the website www.stonesmith.co.uk and viewings can be arranged by calling Stonesmith on 01392 201262

The Quarryman, Dove Holes, High Peak, Derbyshire for Sale THIS BUSINESS is located in in the affluent High Peak National Park village of Dove Holes on the A6 that runs through the village. Dove Holes has within, a Primary school, 2 churches, local businesses and several sports facilities.

This two storey village inn is of stone construction, under a pitched, tiled roof and sits on the main road that runs through the village. The property is well presented, immaculate throughout and furnished in a modern and contemporary style to an exceptionally high standard. A welcoming well-presented entrance porch to one side of the property and an entrance to the other both provide access directly to the trading areas.

These consist of: Bar area (circa 30+ plus standing) with local related photographs adorning the walls, wall mounted HDTV’s that are positioned either side of the room and bar server

offering 3 cask ales with an attractive tiled perimeter.

Restaurant (circa 34+ covers) has a feature exposed stone built fireplace with built in log burner, a bar server of wood construction and coffee preparation station.

Below ground floor Beer Cellar. There is a fully equipped Commercial Catering Kitchen with stainless steel appliances and surfaces. CCTV throughout. The owner’s accommodation has 4 bedrooms and 2 separate bathrooms and could easily be converted to create a 1-bed en-suite letting accommodation.

To the front of the property is the patron’s lined car park with spaces for circa 10 cars.

Price: £395,000 Freehold / £60,000 Leasehold. Tenure: Freehold or Leasehold. Rent (if applicable): £25,000 p/a. Landlord (if applicable): Private/Freeholder.

Turnover (annual): £302,400 (inc VAT) to May 2016. Wet:Dry split: 60% Dry / 40% Wet Contact the Agent, Guy Simmonds, on 01332 865112.

it effectively for the benefit of the whole country and invest in the education and skills training of young people who will ensure our economy thrives in the future.

9. Healthcare. Now we have control of the money that used to go to the EU, let’s make sure that we spend heavily on the National Health service with a deliberate move to make it proactive rather than reactive, so that as well as dealing with health issues when they arrive we look at preventative care for people to stop illness happening in the first place. This can be done in conjunction with business, many of whom already do a lot for their workers, let’s turn this into a truly national health programme that makes sure we all live long happy and productive lives.

10. Spending and investment that benefits the whole UK. Many areas of the country feel they are disenfranchised from the government and from big business that is based in the South. Let’s make sure that spend and investment are balanced across the country, we need to make sure we spend the money that used to go to the EU wisely and better than the EU used to do. The move from London to Salford by part of the BBC was a brave and welcome one, which has greatly benefited that area. The Government should look at their own house and see what other departments and areas

of business can be moved out of London to other parts of the UK. With improved communication and travel links there is no reason for this not to happen and it could accelerate some of the projects already in place.”

Anglo Continental Placements Ltd Established recruitment agency for 20 years

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T 01273 77 66 60

(Contact Sharon/Rachel)

LE STEAK PARISIEN RESTAURANT

FOR SALE

78 WELLINGTON STREET, LUTON LU1 5AA

Located in Luton city centre, this restaurant is being sold due to retirement. It has been established for 28 years, has regular clientele and has no competition in the area.

Seats 40-50 people Dry lined and fully refurbished large cellar Front and back shutters Private garage at the rear (for one car) Large fitted kitchen, commercial freezer room, cool room, 2-door counter fridge Goodwill £90,000 (reasonable offers accepted) Rent £12,000 p/a (20 years lease, fixed for duration) For further information please contact: Jean-Claude Bachelot

01582 724856

Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier

38

Property and Professional

July 2016

Are You Focused?

THE WEST COUNTRY SPECIALISTS NE W

35 YEARS AGO, I stood on Lambeth Bridge & threw my briefcase in the Thames saying 'never again will I work conventionally. At the time I was MD of 3 companies, part of a large group, but I couldn't stand the politics. That was on a Thursday, the following day I went to my 3 offices & said goodbye to all my staff & put my car keys in the postbox of the group

LOOE, CORNWALL

EXMOOR NATIONAL PARK

TOTNES, SOUTH DEVON

Daytime Only 32 Cover Cafe Excellent Profit Levels Easily Manageable Business 2 Double Bedroom Accommodation Ideal Lifestyle Opportunity

Quality Destination Inn & Restaurant Bar & Restaurant (50+) Trade Gardens & Terrace (100+) 5 En-Suite Letting Rooms, 2 Bed Private Set in over 1 Acre Grounds

Established Cafe & Licensed Restaurant Prominent Sought After Trading Location

2044

FH £525,000

3831

EXMOUTH, EAST DEVON

EXETER, DEVON

Licensed Restaurant in Prime Trading Position Popular East Devon Coastal Resort Town Main Restaurant Area (52) Fitted & Equipped to High Specification Genuine Retirement Sale

Quality Bistro & Accommodation Popular & Affluent Trading Position Bar, Mezzanine & Dining Rooms (33) Self Contained 3 Bedroom Maisonette Refurbished & Well Presented Throughout

2043

LH £54,950

LH £35,000

1903A

2037

EXMOUTH, EAST DEVON

Daytime Only Sandwich Bar Close to Town Centre Low Overheads & Limited Trading Hours Customer Seating, Prep & Kitchen Areas Ideal First Time Business Opportunity

LH £35,000

2041

NE W

LH £49,950

Run Completely Under Management

NE W

NE W

LH: £69,950

Dining Area (34) Outside Terraces (42) Impressive Levels of Trade

BUCKFASTLEIGH

NR EXETER, DEVON

Well Regarded Licensed Restaurant Attractive Main Dining Area (28) Bar & Servery with Bakers Oven 3 Double Bedroom Private Accom Easily Run Lifestyle Business

Thriving Farm Shop & Cafe Food Hall, Delicatessen & Butcher Cafe with Permission for 16 Good Profits & Low Overheads Unique Business Opportunity

5983

FH £340,000

2042

THINKING OF SELLING? CALL FOR A FREE VALUATION

LH £195,000

The following day I went to Italy for 2 weeks & on the first day back, I saw a Midland Bank Manager, told him what I'd done & he said "despite the fact you're young, you've had a lot of experience in running companies, I think you can help some of my customers".

So for 35 years, I've been helping companies & it took me years to work out the 1 reason why a business makes money is the same reason why a business makes money: FOCUS. Focus just on your skill, you'll never make money. Focus on profit & you'll make money.

Reader enquiries - Tel: 01202 551193, email: office@markliddle.com or visit www.markliddle.com

The Star Inn, Copmere End, Eccleshall, Staffs THE STAR Inn is located in the affluent sought after hamlet of Copmere End set in undulating Staffordshire countryside and only circa 1 mile from the historical town of Eccleshall. The property is located adjacent to the beautiful Copmere lake that attracts walkers, ramblers and fishing enthusiasts all year round and the towns of Stone (6 miles) and Stafford (7 miles) are within easy reach.

The trading areas consist of: Open Plan Trading area (circa 50+ plus standing) has areas of carpet, quarry tile and oak flooring, exposed wooden ceiling beams and joists and exposed brick built fireplaces situated at either end of the room. There is also a bar server of wood construction offering 4 cask ales to service all the trading areas.

Fully equipped Commercial Catering Kitchen with stainless steel appliances and surfaces and pudding area leading off. Separate wash up and dry goods/storage area. Below ground floor Beer Cellar. The owner’s accommodation has 2 double bedrooms.

Included within the sale is a 6-berth (2 bedroom) holiday home. This is located right at the top of the garden area in a private fenced off section. Currently used by our vendor clients family members however in our opinion this provides immense untapped opportunity to creating a letting facility to add high level profits to the business.

Price: £425,000. Tenure: Freehold.

Landlord (if applicable): N/A. Turnover (annual): £250,000 (inc VAT) to June 2015. Wet:Dry split: 60% Wet / 40% Dry. For details, contact the agent, Guy Simmonds, on 01332 865112.

Tasti Mana, Exmouth, Devon - Profitable Town Centre Sandwich Bar

WEST SOMERSET Substantial Character Guest House Versatile & Flexible Accommodation 6 Individual Bedrooms (4 En-Suite) Guest Lounge/Dining Room Restaurant/Owners Lounge Sauna & Hot Tub, Gardens & Parking Extremely High Standard Throughout

FH £565,000

head office & caught the train home.

2010

01392 201262 www.stonesmith.co.uk

Please mention the Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier News when replying to advertising

Ribble Valley

Picturesque Ribble Valley Country Inn/Restaurant with letting rooms

A PROFITABLE and easily manageable town centre sandwich bar with low overheads and limited trading hours is now being offered for sale by catering specialists Stonesmith of Exeter.

Tasti Mana is a ground floor lock-up shop which been purposefully fitted and equipped to a high standard and trades as a traditional sandwich bar.

The business currently opens from 8:00am until 3:00pm Monday to Saturdays and is closed on Sundays and bank holidays. With low overheads and restricted opening hours, this business

would suit someone thinking of starting a new venture and no experience is considered necessary.

Tasti Mana occupies an established trading position close to Exmouth town centre and as a result it benefits from the considerable commercial advantages of being close to numerous complementary businesses, offices and residential premises.

Stonesmith is looking for £35,000 for this private leasehold business. Full details can be downloaded from the website www.stonesmith.co.uk and viewings arranged by calling 01392 201262

PUB OF THE MONTH DERBYSHIRE £59,000 FREE OF TIE LEASEHOLD REF: 7768L

• Successful business, same ownership for over 15 years.

• Bar, Conservatory and Restaurant with 180+ covers.

• 11 en suite letting bedrooms.

• Extensive well maintained grounds/gardens in 1.7 acres.

• Accounts available to bona fide applicants.

Freehold offers are invited in excess of £1.65m.

Tel: 0121 353 2757

www.matthewphillipssurveyors.co.uk matt@matthewphillipssurveyors.co.uk

STUNNING & SUCCESSFUL 16TH CENTURY STONE BUILT COUNTRY INN & RESTAURANT SITUATED NR. BRACKENFIELD ON MAIN ‘A’ ROAD EN-ROUTE TO MATLOCK BATH & THE PEAK DISTRICT

www.guysimmonds.co.uk Tel: 01332 865112 email: sales@guysimmonds.co.uk Also featured on www.pubsforsale.co.uk

July 2016

Caterer, Licensee & Hotelier

39

CESA’s New Guide Explains EU Directives On Energy Labelling Top Young Chefs Showcase Talent to Support Futurechef AS PART of its programme of environmental and consumer protection the EU will be bringing Energy Labelling and Ecodesign Directives for commercial catering equipment in line with those for domestic appliances from 1st July 2016. To help buyers of catering equipment understand the new directives, CESA, the Catering Equipment Suppliers Association, has published a guide.

“Energy efficiency has become a critical issue for catering equipment manufacturers in recent years,” says Simon Frost, chair of CESA. “This new guide provides an understanding and down-to-earth explanations about the new tests and the labelling.

“The Directives will be important for any catering equipment buyer or specifier. They will make it possible to accurately compare running and overall lifetime costs of different models.”

The first category of equipment to be made subject of the new Directives

is refrigeration, specifically designated as Professional Refrigerated Storage Cabinets (PRSCs). This covers both counters and single or double upright cabinets. From the first of July all PRSCs sold in Europe will have to be tested within the framework of the Ecodesign Directives, and will carry labels displaying their energy efficiency.

While PRSCs are the first category of equipment to be covered by the new Directives, work has already begun on other refrigeration categories, along with ovens and warewashers. Currently no firm timelines for these new categories have been established.

CESA’s Guide to Ecodesign and Energy Labelling is available to download from the Buyers Guide section of the CESA website, cesa.org.uk.

The Catering Equipment Suppliers Association (CESA) is the authoritative voice of the catering equipment industry, representing over 180 companies who supply, service and maintain all types of commercial catering equipment – from utensils to full kitchen schemes. For more information on CESA visit www.cesa.org.uk

Countdown to Seafood Week Begins

WITH JUST weeks to go until the start of Seafood Week, the seafood industry is being urged to join others in getting behind the biggest celebration of seafood in the UK, which will run from 9th- 16th October this year. Led

by Seafish, the industry authority on seafood, Seafood Week will provide the perfect platform for encouraging more people to eat more fish more often, focusing as it will, on the themes of Cook Me, Dine Me, and Buy Me across a range of platforms designed to engage with consumers and industry.

On each of the eight days, the campaign will highlight recipes, offers, and products that can be cooked at home, eaten out, or purchased via a retailer. Seafood Week will also focus on offering health advice, cooking tips, behind-thescenes stories on how seafood is caught and sourced, and a range of activities and insights that will combine to make this one of the biggest and best showcase events for seafood in the industry calendar.

In order to get involved, industry is being

Wetherspoon and New Openings J D Wetherspoon is to open eight pubs and a hotel in the next six weeks.

The first of the eight pubs, The Booking Office, opens at Edinburgh’s Waverley train station on Tuesday (June 14).

Between June 14 and July 19 Wetherspoon will open pubs

encouraged to download the Seafood Week campaign toolkit available via the www.seafoodweek.co.uk website, and join the retailers, food service outlets, fishmongers, fish and chip shops and suppliers already signed-up for a week of celebrating the best the UK has to offer. The toolkit, which is free of charge, includes Seafood Week brand assets for use in store and online, templates for use with PR and social media campaigns, as well as helpful hints and tips on how businesses can make the most of the week and adapt the themes within it to their own purposes in order to increase sales.

“We are aiming to establish Seafood Week as the jewel in our crown when it comes to helping industry increase the consumption of seafood across the board in the UK”, added Mel Groundsell, Corporate Relations Director at Seafish.

“We have seen through the success of our Omega 3 health campaigns, our National Fish & Chip Awards, our on-going Fish is the Dish consumer engagement, and our support to the first ever National Fish and Chip Day this year, just how successful campaigns such as this can be when industry supports it. We’re really excited about our offer and believe that it presents a great opportunity to get people cooking, eating, and buying more seafood.” in Newton le Willows, Largs, Northolt, Formby, Huntingdon, Chatham and Okehampton.

A hotel will also open at the Northolt pub and a further hotel will open, in September, alongside the Huntingdon pub.

Wetherspoon chief executive, John Hutson said: “ We are looking forward to opening our new pubs and hotels, a number of which are in towns where we are not yet represented.

FIVE FUTURECHEF Alumni supported Springboard’s fundraising event and helped to raise £23,000 for FutureChef, Springboard’s school cooking initiative designed to tackle the chronic chef skill shortage.

Springboard’s ‘FutureChef Banquet on Bateaux’ was generously hosted by Sodexo Prestige on Bateaux London, where guests experienced a cruise on the Thames and enjoyed an exceptional four course banquet devised by professional chefs and FutureChef Alumni, served by Westminster Kingsway College students.

FutureChef Chairman, Brian Turner CBE, was Master of Ceremonies while top chefs Allan Pickett (Piquet Restaurant), Daniel Galmiche (Norwegian Seafood Council), Steve Munkley (Royal Garden Hotel) and Graham Hornigold (HKK Restaurant) partnered up with FutureChef Alumni Lucy Wigmore, Eden Allsworth, Ashleigh Hellowell, Bronwen Jenkins and Tom Hamblet.

Despite the prevalence of high profile chefs on TV and social media, the industry’s biggest skills shortage is in the kitchen. The industry continues to grow and there is demand for young apprentices – Springboard’s FutureChef provides a promising solution.

Now in its 17th year, FutureChef teaches 12-16 year olds about food, inspires them to learn to cook and

links them to professional chefs to develop their talent. It is a proven pipeline of talent into the industry – not least for the FutureChef Alumni displaying their passion and skills at this event.

David Mulcahy, Sodexo’s Craft and Food Development Director, said “Sodexo is proud to be a sponsor of FutureChef. We have seen so many young people develop into talented chefs and develop their careers who would otherwise never have learned to cook. There are so many opportunities for talented, hardworking young individuals and FutureChef provides a perfect entry route, equipping young people with the skills and experience they need.”

Springboard Chief Executive, Anne Pierce said “FutureChef is playing a vital part in solving tomorrow’s skills shortage challenge today. It relies on incredible support from professional chefs and colleges and needs on-going investment to achieve its ambitions. Springboard is immensely grateful to Sodexo for their on-going support and to all the other investors, including The Worshipful Company of Cooks and The Savoy Educational Trust, as well as other sponsors. But we need more support from chefs throughout the country to become mentors, tutors and judges. Every penny of the funds from Banquet on Bateaux will go directly to FutureChef and encourage more young people into hospitality. The ongoing support of the hospitality industry is vital in order to address the skills shortage it faces.”

Former World Number 1 “Cocktail King” Becomes Multi-Award Winning Restaurateur HELLO BURGER, an award-winning burgers and cocktails restaurant in London’s Sidcup district and brainchild of Tony Adams, has been passionate about serving only the freshest food and drink to its customers since its inception in November of 2015.

The eatery was recently given another accolade to add to its already formidable lineup when it received two Bexley Business Excellence Awards for Customer Service and Social Media/Marketing on June 9 during a glamorous gala dinner and ceremony at the Marriott Bexleyheath Hotel.

In addition to being recognised for its concise customer focus and keen customer service ethos, Hello Burger was singled out by Bexley Business Excellence Awards judging personnel for its clearly-defined marketing campaigns that routinely attract new customers and have a better chance of

retaining existing ones. The restaurant was also given a high commendation for being the “Best Startup Business,” recognising Hello Burger’s front-of-house team for “always keeping everyone smiling” and its back-of-house team for “creating the most epic burgers all staff members are proud to serve.”

“After years of working late nights in bars and ending up on ‘the wrong side of 30,’ it all started to catch up with me,” Adams explains. “Yet the prospect of owning my own burger joint, serving world-class burgers and cocktails, was a dream I simply couldn’t abandon; though I’m a bit of a perfectionist and love nothing more than ‘getting my geek on’ when it comes to burgers – tweaking, altering and adjusting a menu until it’s just right while perfecting the cut, grind and recipe – it really is all part of the process.

“To me, there’s nothing better in this industry than seeing people having a great time…and I believe the Bexley Business Awards we received are a testament to that searing passion.”

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